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DISCOURSES, 

ON  THE  MODE  AND  SUBJECTS 

OF 

CHRISTIAN  BAPTISM. 


AX  ATTEMPT  TO  SHEW  THAT  POURING  OR  SPRINKLING  IS  A 
SCRIPTURAL  MODE;    AND  THE    INFANTS  OF    BELIEVERS 
ARE  PROPER  SUBJECTS  OF  THE  BAPTISM  INSTI- 
TUTED BY  CHRIST  : 

■WITH    AN 

EXAMINATION  OF  VARIOUS  OBJECTIONS. 

PARTICULARLY   THOSE   CONTAINED    IN    A    COURSE   OF 
ANONYMOUS    LETTERS   TO 

BISHOP  HOADLY. 


By  JOSEPH  .^lATHROP,  d.  d. 

"Pastor  of  the  first  Church  in  Westspringfield- 


FIFTH   EDITION, 

REVISED,    CORRECTED,    AND    MUCH    ENLARGED. 


BOSTON: 
PUBLISHED  BY  ISAIAH  THOMAS,  JuN. 

NO.   G   MARLBORO'-STREET. 

Samuel  Avery,  Printer. 
1811. 


DISTRICT  OF  MASSACHUSETTS,  TO  WIT : 

Be  it  remembered,  That  on  the  tweiitysixth  day  of  February, 
in  the  thirtyfifth  year  of  the  Independence  of  the  United  States 
of  America,  Isaiah  Thomas,  Jun.  of  the  said  district,  has  de- 
posited in  this  office  the  title  of  a  book,  the  right  whereof  he 
claims  as  proprietor,  in  the  \,ords  following,  to  wit :  Discourses, 
on  the  mode  and  subjects  of  Christian  Baptism.  Or  an  attempt 
to  shew  that  pouring  or  sprinkling  is  a  scriptural  mode  ;  and  the 
infants  of  believers  are  proper  subjects  of  the  baptism  instituted 
by  Christ :  With  an  examination  of  various  objections.  Partic- 
ularly those  contained  in  a  course  of  anonymous  letters  to  Bish- 
op Hoadly.  By  Joseph  Lathrop,  d.  d.  Pjistor  of  the  tirst 
Church  in  Westspringfield.  Fifth  edition  revised  corrected  and 
much  enlarged. 

In  conformity  to  the  act  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States, 
iivtitied,  **Anact  for  the  encouragement  of  learning,  by  secur- 
ing the  copies  of  maps,  charts  and  books,  to  the  authors  and 
proprietors  of  such  copies  during  the  times  therein  mentioned  j'* 
and  also  to  an  act,  intitled,  **  An  act,  supplementary  to  an  act, 
intitled.  An  act  for  the  encouragement  of  learning,  by  securing 
the  copies  of  maps,  charts  and  books,  to  the  authors  and  propri- 
etors of  such  copies,  during  the  times  therein  mentioned;  and 
cxtendmg  the  benefits  thereof  to  the  arts  of  designing,  engraving 
and  etching  historical  and  other  prints." 

WiLLIAns  S.  Shaw,  Clerk  of  the  district 
of  Massachusetts. 


PREFA 


V 


THE  following  Discourses  on  Baptism, 
which,  some  years  since,  were  published  in  sub- 
stance, are  now  republished  with  some  correc- 
tions, and  considerable  additions.  The  ne^ 
cessity  of  this  republication  is  perhaps  super^ 
ceded  by  many  excellent  treatises,  which,  with' 
in  a  few  yearSy  have  appeared  on  the  same 
subject.  This  was  an  objection  in  the  author^s 
mind,  against  giving  these  Discourses  a  new 
edition.  This  objection,  however,  has  been 
overruled,  not  merely  by  the  urgency  of  re- 
quests, but  also  by  an  inclination,  near  the 
close  of  his  life,  to  add  his  testimony  to  that 
of  his  brethren,  in  favour  of  a  usage,  which^ 
on  careful  and  repeated  examination,  he  is 
fully  convinced  is  agreeable  to  divine  institu- 
tion, and  important  to  the  continuance  of  the 
church  of  Christ, 

We  believe  our  antipedo  baptist  brethren  to 
he  in  an  errour.     We  consider  their  errour  as 


4?  PREFACE. 

more  dangerous^  because  they  make  an  aHop-^ 
tion  of  it  ail  indispensable  term  of  christian 
communion.  To  justify  this,  they  must  not 
only  believe  for  themselves,  that  immersion  at 
adult  age,  is  the  only  baptism  instituted  by 
Christ,  and  practised  by  the  Apostles,  which 
we  suppose  they  do  believe ;  but  must  also  prove 
that  this  is  too  plain  and  obvious  to  be  doubt" 
ed  by  any  honest  man ;  consequently,  that  all 
who  have  ever  approved  and  practised  infant 
baptism  and  sprinkling  in  baptism,  have  been 
wicked  meri  at  hearty  and  that  all  churches 
founded  on  the  plan  of  such  baptism,  have 
been,  and  still  are  disowned  of  God,  The 
latter  they  will  not  affirm,  nor  even  suspect ; 
and  therefore  they  cannot  justify  their  close 
communion ;  for  the  gospel  most  expressly 
forbids  us  to  despise  and  reject  those  whom 
God  has  received.  It  is  therefore  wished  they 
might,  and  hoped  they  will  assume  more  can^ 
dour. 

Now  as  we  condemn  the  rigidness  of  our 
baptist  brethren  in  this  point,  let  us  be  careful 
not  to  imitate  it.  If  we  refuse  communion 
with  a  minister,  a  private  brother,  or  churchy 
mi  account  of  some  supposed  difference  in  sen* 


PREFACE, 


timent  or  usage,  when  the  difference  may  not 
he  fundamental,  or  token  no  regular  process 
has  been  instituted  for  the  amendment,  trial 
or  conviction  of  the  suspected  party ;  why  are 
we  not  guilty  of  the  same  severity  and  rigor, 
which  we  condemn  in  the  baptists  /  Let  us  eX' 
ercise  the  same  candour,  which  we  require  in 
others. 

It  is  also  to  be  wished,  that  the  practice  of 
our  churches  might  silence  one  particular  ob' 
jection,  which  the  baptists  make  against  our 
baptizing  children. 

They  tell  us ^  '  Vou  baptize  your  children, 
and  yet  treat  them  no  otherwise  than  you 
would  real  heathen  children.  You  sav, 
they  are  within  God^s  covenant,  and  conse- 
quently members  of  his  church,  and  yet  your 
churches  exercise  no  watch  and  discipline 
over  them,  even  after  their  age  renders  them 
capable  subjects/ 

So  far  as  this  objection  is  founded  in  fact, 
if  ought  to  be  removed.  Our  children  receive 
baptism,  the  *i  at  of  the  covenant,  on  the  ground 
of  God^s  promise  to  believers,  'I  will  be  a 
God  u^  you  ;  n  I  to  your  seed.'  If  they  are 
icithm  God^s  covenant^  they  are  within  the 
1* 


U  FREFACK. 

churchy  for  this  is  founded  on  the  covenant, 
Tkeij  ought  then  to  be  treated  as  under  ths^ 
watch ^  and  subject  to  the  discipline  of  the 
church,  as  soon  as  they  arrive  to  competent  age. 
If  they  have  a  standing  in  the  churchy  why 
should  they  not  enjoy  the  privileges  of  it,  when 
their  age  and  understanding  allow  I  If  they 
prove  themselves  unworthy  of  this  relation,  let 
them  be  excluded  from  it,  not  in  an  arbitrary 
manner,  but  by  regular  discipline. 

It  is  asked,  *  Will  not  our  churches,  act- 
ing on  this  principle,  soon  become  corrupt  V 
It  is  thought,  they  will  not ;  but  become  more 
pure.  Our  churches  are  corrupted,  not  by 
admitting  persons,  against  whom  no  accusal 
tion  can  be  sustained,  but  by  neglecting  those 
who  are  admitted. 

We  all  wish  for  the  purify  of  the  churches. 
But  how  shall  this  be  promoted  /  Not  merely 
by  arguin^^  in  favour  of  the  baptisiU  of  our 
children,  but  also  by  adding  in  favour  of  their 
religious  education.  This  is  primarily  the 
duty  of  parents.  But  in  this  duty  let  the 
church  cooperate  with  them,  and  strengthen 
their  hands.     Thus  our  houses  will  become 


PREFACE.  7 

churches.  Thus  '  our  sons  will  be  as  plants 
grown  up  in  their  youth,  and  our  daugh- 
ters as  corner  stones  polished  after  the  si- 
militude of  a  palace/  Thus  '  Gr)d's  work 
will  appear  to  his  servants  and  his  glory  to 
their  children  ;  the  beauty  of  the  Lord  vvill 
be  tjpon  them,  and  he  will  establish  the 
work  of  their  hands/ 

WestspriDgfield,  January  l,  1811.  — 


DISCOURSE^  !^-^:^  J 


ON 


CHRISTIAN  BAPTISM 


DISCOURSE  I. 

Spbesians  iv.  5. — One  Baptism, 

TO  persuade  the  Ephesians  to  keep  the 
unity  of  the  spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace,  the 
Apostle  urges  this,  among  other  arguments, 
that  they  had  received  07ie  Baptism,  If  this 
one  Baptism  was  designed  to  be  a  bond  of 
peace  and  unity  among  christians,  how  un- 
happy it  is,  that  it  should  become  an  occa- 
sion of  division  and  separation  1  Some  will 
say,  *  It  is  not  one  baptism,  but  different  bap- 
tisms that  cause  division^/  It  is  true,  bap- 
tism is  administered  in  different  modes^  and 
to  different  subjects ;  but  still,  I  hope,  it  will 
appear  to  be  one  baptism  ;  and  if  so,  then 
this  difference  is  no  just  rt^ason  for  disuuiun. 


10  CHRISTIAN  BAPTISM. 

You  are  sensible,  my  brethren,  that  I  have 
not  been  wont  to  bring  controversies  into 
the  pulpit.  1  have  purposely  avoided  the 
controversy  concerning  baptism  in  years  past, 
and  should  have  done  so  still,  had  it  not 
been  lately  revived  among  you — It  is  not 
any  prejudice  against  our  brethren,  who  dif- 
fer from  us,  but  a  regard  to  your  present  cir- 
cumstances, and  to  thedesireof  many  among 
you,  that  now  induces  me  to  enter  upon  it ; 
and  I  hope  to  handle  it  in  such  a  manner, 
as,  at  least,  not  to  offend,  if  1  should  not 
convince.  I  shall  not  call  in  question  the 
validity  of  the  baptism  of  our  brethren  :  I 
only  aim  to  vindicate  our  own.  And  surely 
wh(*n  we  are  charged  with  having  essential- 
ly changed  a  divine  institution — when  we 
are' represented  as  being  in  an  unbaptized 
state — when  we  are  treated  as  unfit  for 
christian  communion,  we  have  a  right  to 
plead  in  our  defence. 

There  is  a  late,  pamphlet  which  many  of 
you  have  read,  written  by  way  of  Letters  to 
Bishop  Hoadly^  the  author  of  which  labours 
to  disprove  the  validity  both  of  sprinkling, 
and  of  infant  baptism^  and  treats  them  both 


CHRISTIAN  BAPTISM.  11 

with  great  contempt.  I  shall  pay  particu- 
lar attention  to  this  piece,  and  take  notice 
of  every  thing  that  is  material  in  it. 

The  questions  before  us  are  two;  wheth- 
er sprinkling  is  a  scriptural  mode  ;  and 
whether  infants  are  proper  subjects  of  bap- 
tism ?  These  questions  have  no  necessary 
connexion  with  each  other.  But  as  the 
validity  of  our  baptism  is  denied  on  account 
of  the  modem  which  it  was  administered, 
as  well  as  of  the  age  at  which  we  received 
it,  1  shall  distinctly  consider  both  questions  ; 
and  shall  begin  with  the  former, 


PART   I. 

WE  w\\\  first  inquire,  What  is  the  true 
scriptural  mcde  of  Baptism  ? 

There  are  two  ways,  in  which  this  ordi- 
nance is  administered  ;  one  is  immersion^  or 
plunging  the  whole  body  into  water :  The 
other  is  affusion^  which  is  pouring  or  sprink- 
ling water  upon  the  body.  We  do  not  de- 
ny the  validity  of  immersion  ;  we  only  de- 
ny the  necessity  of  it :  But  our  brethren  (at 


19  CHRISTIAN  BAPTISM^ 

least  many  of  them)  deny  the  validity  of  a/*- 
fusion,  and  represent  it  as  no  baptism,  to 
whomsoever  administered.  It  is  therefore 
of  some  importance  that  we  inquire,  wheth- 
er there  be  not  such  evidence,  that  affusion 
is  a  scriptural  mode,  as  may  justify  our  use 
of  ft,  and  satisfy  those  who  have  received 
baptism  in  this  manner. 

I  shall  first  examine  the  import  of  the 
Greek  word  used  for  baptism — then  consi- 
der the  uses  of  baptism  and  the  allusions  of 
scripture  to  these  uses — next  inquire,  what 
vv^as  the  apostolic  practice — and  lastly  take 
some  notice  of  the  usage  of  the  church  after 
the  apostolic  age. 

I.  We  will  examine  the  import  of  the 
word  baptizo,  which  is  the  usualy  if  not  the 
ohIi/  word  by  which  the  writers  of  the  New 
Testament  express  the  Christian  ordinance 
of  baptism. 

It  is  ao^reed,  that  the  word  baptizoy  signi- 
fies to  Wash  by  the  application  of  water  : 
But  then,  hew  the  water  is  to  be  applied, 
whether  by  plunging  the  subject  into  water, 
or  by  pouring  or  sprinkling  water  upon  the 
subject,  is  the  question.     This  will  best  be 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  13 

determined  by  considering,  how  the  word 
is  used  upon  common  occasions. 

The    author   of  the    Letters    to   Bishop 
Hoadlif  tells  us,  '  That  the  writers  of  the 
New  Testament  borrowed  their  phrases  from 
the  Greek  translation  of  the  Old  Testament, 
called  the  Septuagint,^     He  refers  us  to  this 
for  the  sense  of  the  words,  which  they  have 
used  for  baptism.     He  allows  that  '  bapfizo 
is  the  offspring  of  Lapto;^  and  consequently 
may  be  taken  in   the  same  sense.     Zealous 
as  he  is  for  immersion,  he  is  constrained  to 
acknowledge,  that  ^  bapto  is  never  used  in 
the  Septuagint  for  the  rite  of  washing  a  per- 
son's whole  body  :'  But  on  the  contrary,  is 
sometimes   used  for   wetting  the  body  by 
sprinkling;   as  in    Dan.   iv.  33,  and  v.   21, 
where  Nebuchadnezzar's  body  is  said  to  be 
wel  with  the  dew  of  heaven.     Now  he  says, 
*  We  all   know,  that  a  person   is  wet  with 
dew,  not  by  immersion   into  it,  but  by  its 
distillation  in  gentle  drops  ;  we  are  sprink- 
led with  it.'     And  \f  bapto  is  never  used  for 
plunging  the  whole  body,  but  sometimes  for 
sprinkling^  it,  probably  ^>«;?/2^o,  '  its  offspring,' 
is  generally   used  in   the  same  sense.     Ac- 
2 


H  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

cordingly  this  author  concedes  that  '  the 
word  baptizo^  is  never  hut  once  used,  in  those 
very  numerous  places  of  the  Old  Testament, 
where  bathing  the  person  is  commanded/ 
The  one  instance  he  mentions  is  in  2  Kings 
V.  14,  where  Naaman  is  said  to  have  dipped 
(or  baptized)  himself  seven  times  in  Jordan, 
for  the  cure  of  his  leprosy. 

But  this  one  instance  is  not  a  just  excep- 
tion from  the  general  concession.  Naa- 
man's  leprosy  was  locaL  He  says,  '  I 
thought  surely,  he  (the  prophet)  will  strike 
his  hand  over  the  placed  or  the  part  affect- 
ed. This  was  the  part  to  be  washed.  And 
the  manner  of  washing  that  part  was  pour^ 
ing  or  sprinkling  water  upon  it.  The  law 
prescribed,  that  the  leper  should  be  sprink- 
led seven  times.  The  prophet  says,  Wash 
seven  times.  If  the  prophet  had  respect  to 
the  law,  as  it  appears  he  had  by  his  requir- 
ing the  Syrian  leper  to  wash  seven  times,  then 
by  washing  he  meant  sprinkling,  or  partial 
affusion.  This  example  therefore  proves, 
that  the  word  baplizo  signifies  not  Xo  plunge, 
but  to  simnkle. 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  lo 

There  is  then,  in  all  the  Old  Testament, 
no  instance  of  the  word  bapto  or  baptizo  used 
for  itnmersion,  hut  examples  of  both  used  for 
sprinkling. 

Let  us  now  consult  the  New  Testament. 
There  we  shall  find  clear  and  direct  evi- 
dence, that  the  word  baptizo^  signifies  to 
pour  or  sprinkle. 

It  is  said,  in  the  beginning  of  the  7th  Chap, 
of  Mark,  That  the  Pharisees^  when  they  saw 
some  of  the  disciples  eat  bread  with  dejiled 
(that  is  to  sai/y  with  unwashenj  hands,  found 
fault ;  for  the  Pharisees  and  all  the  Jews,  ex^ 
cept  they  wash  iheir  hands  oft,  eat  not.  And 
when  they  come  from  the  market,  excejH  they 
wash,  (ean  me  baptizontai,  except  they  are 
baptized]  they  eat  not.  What  in  the  former 
clause,  is  called  washing  the  hands,  is  here 
called  being  baptized.  The  usual  manner  of 
washing  hands  among  the  Jews,  we  learn 
from  2  Kings  iii  11,  where  it  is  said,  Eli- 
sha  poured  water  on  the  hands  of  Elijah. 
Here  then  you  see,  persons  are  said  to  be 
baptized,  when  only  a  part  of  the  body  is 
washed  by  the  pouring  on  of  water.  It  is 
added,  Many  other  things  there  are^  which 


J6  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

tliey  have  received  to  hold^  as  the  washings 
{baptismous,  baptism^^)  of  brazen  vessels  and 
tables,  or  beds,  i.  e.  the  seats  on  which  they 
used  to  recline  at  meals,  which  were  so  Jarge, 
that  they  could  be  washed  only  by  pouring 
water  on  them. 

It  is  said,  Luke  xi.  37.  A  certain  Phari- 
see asked  Jesus  to  dine  with  him.  And  he 
went  in  and  sat  down  to  meat.  And  when  the 
Pharisee  saw  it,  he  marvelled,  that  he  had  not 
first  washed  before  dinner  :  Not  washed  his 
wholebody,  but  only  his  hands,  according  to 
the  Jewish  custom  mentioned  in  the  before 
cited  passage  in  Mark,  And  this  is  express- 
ed by  the  same  word  which  is  used  for  bap-^ 
tizing.  He  marvelled  that  he  had  not  been 
baptized  (ebaptisthe)  before  dinner. 

The  Jetvs,  by  divine  appointment,  observ- 
ed divers  kinds  of  purificatious,  the  greater 
part  of  which  wer^  sprinklings.  And  these 
are  expressly  called  baptisms.  The  Apostle^ 
in  the  9th  chap,  of  Heb.  10th  verse,  speak- 
ing of  the  Jewish  ritual,  says,  It  stood  only  in 
meats  and  drinks  and  divers  washings,  fdia- 
phorois  haptismois,  divers  baptisms.)  By 
these  divers  baptisms,  he  plainly  means  the 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  17 

various  ceremonies  oi  sprinkling ;  for  so  he 
explains  them  in  the  following  verses.     The 
blood  of  bulls  and  of  goats,  and  the  ashes  of 
art  heifer  sprinkling  the  unclean,  sanctifieth 
to  the  purft/ing  of  the  flesh.     Moses  took  the 
blood  of  calves  and  goats  with  water — and 
sprinkled  the  book  and  all  the  people.     He 
sprinkled  likewise  with  blood  both  the  taber- 
nacle and  all  the  vessels  of  the  ministry.     And 
almost  all  things  are,  by  the  law,  purged  with 
blood,   i.  e.    with    the  sprinkling  of  blood. 
Now  as  the  Apostle  speaks  of  divers  bap- 
tisms, and  then  immediately  illustrates  them 
by  divers  sprinklings,  and  mentions  no  oth- 
er purifications,  but  sprinklings,  as  instan- 
ces of  these  divers  baptisms,  it  is  evident, 
that,  if  the  sacred  writer  understood  Greek, 
sprinkling  is  baptism. 

And  since  the  word,  wherever  it  is  used 
in  scripture  for  any  thing  besides  the  chris- 
tian ordinance,  plainly  signifies  pouring  or 
sprinkling,  we  must  naturally  suppose,  it  is 
used  in  the  same  sense,  when  it  is  applied 
to  the  christian  ordinance.  This  conclusion 
may  have  the  more  weight,  because  it  is 


o  * 


14  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

deduced  from  the  concessions  of  a  critical 
writer  on  the  other  side  of  the  question. 

There  is  another  Greek  word,  Louo^  sup- 
posed to  be  sometimes  used  for  baptism,  im 
which  the  author  of  the  letters  lays  more 
weight:  For  this,  he  tells  us,  is  almost  the 
constant  word  of  the  Septuagint,  in  those 
very  numerous  places  where  bathing,  or 
washing  the  whole  body  is  commanded. 

The  word  louo  is  indeed  frequently  used 
for  washing  the  body ;  but  not  always  for 
washing  the  whole  body.  Christ  says  to 
Peter,  '  he  that  is  washed,'  O  leloumenosy 
*  needeth  not  save  to  wash  his  feet^  but  is 
clean  every  whit.^  Here  the  person  is  said 
to  be  leloumenos^  washed,  when  only  \\'\sfeet 
are  washed  by  a  towel  wet  with  water  from 
a  bason.  If  therefore  louo  were  the  onli^ 
word  used  for  baptism,  we  could  not  thence 
infer,  that  the  whole  body  must  be  bathed  in 
the  ordinance,  for  we  find  this  very  word 
used  to  express  a  /?ar/2«/ washing;  but  it 
should  be  observed,  that  this  word  is  very 
seldom^  if  ever  used  for  baptism.  The  au- 
thor of  the  letters  has  cited  about  sixtt/  pas- 
sages in  the  New  Testament,  as  speaking  of 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  19 

baptism.  Among  all  these,  there  are  but 
four  where  tUis  word  is  used.  It  is  not  cer- 
tain that  baptism  is  the  thing  intended  in 
these ;  bur  if  it  is,  yet  no  argument  can  be 
drawn  from  them  in  favour  of  immersion  ; 
but  perhaps  the  contrary.  Let  us  consider 
them. 

One  is  in  Heb.  x.  23.  Let  us  draw  near 
having  our  hody  washed^  (leloumenoi  soma^ 
being  washed  in  the  body)  with  pure  water. 
Now  a  person  is  washed  in  his  body,  though 
water  be  only  poured  on  a  part  of  it.  Thus 
when  the  woman  poured  ointment  on 
Christ's  head^  she  is  said  to  have  anointed 
his  bodtf.  And  this  washing  is,  in  the  pre- 
ceding clause,  expressed  by  sprinkling.-'^ 
Having  our  hearts  sprinkled  from  an  evil 
conscience y  and  our  body  washed  with  pure 
water. 

Another  passage  is  in  Titus  iii.  5,  He  hath 
saved  us  (dialoutrou)  by  the  washing  of  re- 
generation^ and  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghosty 
which  he  hath  shed,  or  poured  on  us.  Now 
if  baptism  is  here  intended  by  the  washing 
of  regeneration,  this  text  affords  a  plain  ar- 
gumt;nt  for  affusion  or  pouring  in  baptism. 


30  eHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

For  thi^  washincj  denotes  rhe  reneuins^  of  the 
Hi'li^  Ghost^  which  is  poured  on  us;  and 
thereton,  that  there  may  be  some  resem- 
blance between  the  sign  and  the  thing  sig- 
nified, baptism  should  be  performed  by 
pouring.  The  phrase  of  the  pouring  of  the 
spirit  is  an  allusion  to  the  pouring  of  water 
in  baptism. 

A  third  passage  is  in  Eph.  v.  26.  That 
he  might  sanctify  it  (the  church)  having 
cleansed  it  with  the  washing  of  water  by  the 
word.  Now  if  baptism  be  here  intended  by 
washing,  then  the  church  is  said  to  be  sanc- 
tified and  cleansed  by  the  baptismal  wash- 
ing: But  how  this  washing,'  is  performed, 
whether  by  sprinkling  or  plunging,  is  still 
the  question.  The  Apostle  says,*  sprink- 
ling— sanctijieth  to  the  purifying  of  the  flesh. 
If  then  we  will  allow  rhe  Apostle  to  inier^ 
pret  his  own  phrases,  it  \i  sprinkling  that 
sanctifies  and  cleanses  the  flesh,  and  conse- 
quently is  the  washing  intended,  when  the 
church  is  said  to  be  sanctified  and  cleansed 
by  the  washing  of  water.  In  the  5 1  si  Psalm, 
2d  verse,  the  Psalmist  prays,  Wash  me  tho- 

*  peb.  ix,  13. 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  Si 

roughly  from  min^  iniquitt/  and  cleanse  me 
from  sin.  He  adds  verse  7»  Purge  me,  (ia 
the  Greek  it  is  sprinkle  me)  and  1  shall  he 
cleansed.  What  in  the  2d  ver.  is  called 
washing  thoroughly,  is  in  the  7th  ver.  called 
sprinkling ;  and  the  latter  is  said  to  cleanse, 
as  well  as  the  former.  The  other  passage  is 
in  I  Cor.  vl.  11.  But  ye  are  washed,  but  ye 
are  sanctified,  &c.  This  is  so  nearly  paral- 
lel to  the  former,  that  the  same  remarks  are 
applicable  fo  both,  and  therefore  nothing 
further  needs  to  be  added. — It  appears,  I 
think,  that  the  word  which  our  author  chief- 
ly depends  on  to  prove  immersion  entirely 
fails  him,  and  finally  determines  in  favour  of 
affusion. 

This  now  is  the  result  of  our  inquiry. 
Tlie  word  haptizo,  is  iiever  used  in  all  the 
Old  Testament,  where  bathing  the  body  is 
commanded.  It  is  often  used  in  the  New 
Testament  for  sprinkling  or  pouring.  This 
is  the  usual,  if  not  the  only  word  for  bap- 
tism. It  is  used  to  be  sure,  in  nearly  sixty 
passages.  The  word  louo,  is  sometimes 
used  for  bathing  the  body,  but  never  certaiti-- 
ly  used  for  baptism.    There  are  but  four  pas- 


S9  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

sages,  where  it  is  pretended  to  be  so  used ; 
and  even  here  it  is  plainly  synonymous 
\y \ih  pourijig  or  sprinklings  as  it  is  also  on 
other  occasions. 

it  is  indeed  very  remarkable,  that  the 
writers  of  the  New  Testament,  when  they 
speak  of  the  christian  ordinance  of  baptism, 
have  generally  (if  not  always)  avoided  that 
word,  which  in  the  Septuagint  is  sometimes 
used  for  bathing  the  body  ;  and  chosen  a 
word  of  a  more  general  signification  ;  and  if 
they  have  ever  used  the  former,  ihey  have 
joined  with  it  spy  inkling  or  pouring,  as  if  it 
were  on  purpose  to  teach  us,  that  plunging 
the  whole  body  is  a  ceremony  not  required 
under  the  gospel. 

If.  1  apprehend  we  may  obtain  some  sat- 
isfaction in  the  point  before  us,  if  we  attend 
to  those  passages  of  scripture,  in  which  the 
uses  of  baptism  are  manifestly  alluded  to. 

1.  One  use  of  it  is  to  represent  the  sanc- 
tifying influence  of  the  spirit.  Christians 
are  said  to  be  born  of  water  mid  of  the  spirit; 
and  to  be  saved  bt/  the  washing  of  regeneration 
and  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Peter  says  to 
the  convicted  Jews^  Be  baptized  and  ye  shall 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  23 

receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  *  The  influ- 
ence oi' the  Spirit  represented  in  baptism,  is 
often  expressed  by  pouring  and  sprinkling  ; 
as  in  the  before  cited  passages  to  Titus,  and 
to  the  Hebrews,  The  refieiving  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  which  he  hath  poured  on  us.  Having 
the  heart  sprinkled  yVom  an  evil  conscience, 
T\\'\^  pouring  out  of  the  Spirit  is  called,  be- 
ing baptized  with  it.  That  promise,  Ye  shall 
be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  is  said  to 
have  been  fulfilled  when  Christ  shed  or 
pouredforih  the  Spirit. -j* 

2.  Baptism  represents  the  forgiveness  of 
sins.  Hence  these  directions.  Be  baptized 
for  the  remission  of  sins — Be  baptized  and 
loash  away  thy  sins,X  Our  sins  are  washed 
away  in  Christ's  blood.  The  blood  of  Christ 
cleanseth  from  all  sin.  He  hath  washed  us 
from  our  sins  in  his  own  blond. ^  And  this 
application  of  Christ's  blood  is  expressed  by 
sprinkling .  Ye  are  come — to  Jesus  the  medi- 
ator of  the  new  covenant  and  to  the  blood  of 
sprinkling.    Elect  according  to  tlie  foreknow-^ 

*  Acts  ii.  38.  t  Acts  i.  5.  and  ii.  33. 

%  Acts  ii.  33.  and  xxii.  iQ.         §  l  John  i.  7.  and  Rev.  i.  5. 


94i  €HRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

ledge  of  God,  through  sanctijication  of  the 
spirit  u7Uo — sprinkli  ng  of  the  blood  of  Christ,* 

3.  Baptism  with  dean  water  may  denote 
the  nimjjlicitt/  of  the  gospel  dispensation. 

The  writer  of  the  letters  says,  '  There 
does  not  appear  in  all  the  five  books  of  Mo- 
ses,  any  rite  of  sprinkling  meer  water,  but  it 
was  water  mixed  with  blood,  ashes,  &c/ 
The  Mosaic  institution  was  of  a  mixed  na- 
ture :  it  consisted  both  of  mora/ and  ceremo- 
nial precepts.  And  the  rites  of  purification 
were  of  a  piece  with  the  dispensation  itself; 
for  they  were  performed  by  water  mixed 
with  other  ingredients.  But  the  gospel  dis- 
pensation is  pure  and  simple,  charged  with 
few  external  rites,  and  these  plain  and  easy. 
Thus  Ezek.  xxxvi.  2*5.  God,  foretelling  the 
happiness  of  his  people  in  the  Gospel  times, 
says,  Then  will  I  sprinkle  clean  water  upon 
you  and  ye  shall  he  clean.  '  This  expres- 
sion,'says  the  author  before  mentioned,  '  al- 
ludes to  some  watery  purification  in  the  law 
of  Moses, ^  But  he  says,  '  There  was  no 
ceremony  of  unmixed  water.'  He  thinks, 
*  it  alludes  to  the  water  of  separation.'    And 

*  Heb.  xii.  24.   l  Pet.  i.  2. 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  25 

yet  he  says,  '  This  was  a  composition  of  va- 
rious ingredients/ 

The  meaning  of  the  passage  then  must  be 
this.  In  the  latter  times  1  will  give  you  a 
pure  and  spiritual  dispensation,  not  burden- 
ed with  such  rites  and  ceremonies  as  the 
present.  The  simple  nature  and  spiritual 
design  of  it  shall  be  represented  by  the  great 
rite  of  initiation,  which  shall  be  the  spriiik* 
ling  of  pure  water,  and  not  the  application 
of  such  mixtures  and  compositions  as  are 
now  in  use. 

Observe  here  :  Sprinkling  is  said  to  cleanse 
the  person,  /w/// sprinkle  clean  water  upon 
you  and  ye  shall  be  clean,  and  from  ?A\  your 
Jilthiness  will  I  cleanse  you.  So  washing  Pe- 
ter's feet  only,  was  washing  him,  Peter 
says,  Thou  shall  never  wash  iny  feet.  Jesus 
replies.  If  1  wash  thee  not^  thou  hast  no  part 
in  me.  When  he  requested  that  his  hands 
and  head  might  be  washed  too,  Christ  an- 
swered, He  that  is  washed^  need  not  save  to 
wash  his  feet,  but  is  clean  every  whit.* 

It  has  been  said,  '  A  minister  may  as  well 
wash  the  hands  or  feet,  as  sprinkle  the  face 

*  John  xiii.  8,  9,  10.  r. 


26  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

of  a  person,  in  the  name  of  the  Trinity,  and 
call  it  baptism/  I  am  far  from  asserting, 
that  the  validity  of  baptism  depends  upon 
the  part  to  which  the  water  is  applied. — 
There  is  however  an  obvious  propriety  in 
applying  it  to  the  head.  This  is  the  princi" 
pal  part  of  the  body.  It  is  the  part  which 
is  usually  uncovered;  and  the  water  doubt- 
less should  be  applied  to  the  person^  rather 
than  to  his  clothes.  The  ceremony  o{  bene- 
diction  was  performed  by  laying  the  hands 
on  the  head.  Unction  was  performed  by 
pouring  o\\  on  the  head^  which  was  called 
anointing  the  body.  The  Holy  Ghost  was 
communicated  by  the  imposition  of  the 
Apostles  hands:  And  they  who  had  the 
Spirit  thus  communicated  to  them,  were 
said  to  be  baptized  with  it ;  which  makes  it 
highly  probable  that  baptism,  the  token  of 
this  communication,  was  performed  by  put- 
ting water  on  the  heads  of  the  persons  bap- 
tized. Accordingly,  the  Apostle  to  the  He- 
brews speaks  of  the  doctrine  of  Baptisms  and 
laying  on  of  hands, ''^ 

*  Chap.vi.  2. 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  27 

4.  The  Apostle,  in  1  Cor.  10,  speaking* 
of  the  Jews  who  came  out  of  Egypt^  says, 
They  were  all  baptized  unto  Moses  in  the  cloud 
and  in  the  sea.  The  Apostle  here  undoubt- 
edly alludes  to  christian  baptism,  and  there- 
fore we  may  suppose  there  was  some  resem- 
blance between  baptism  unto  Christ,  and 
that  ancient  baptism  unto  Moses. — Now  how 
were  they  baptized  in  the  cloud  and  sea  ? 
Surely  not  by  being  plunged  all  over  in  wa- 
ter ;  for  they  went  over  on  dry  land ;  but  only 
by  being  sprinkled  with  some  sprays  of  the 
sea,  and  drops  from  the  cloud.  This  appears 
to  me  the  most  natural  sense  of  the  expres- 
sion. The  author  of  the  letters  indeed  ridi- 
cules such  an  interpretation,  and  says,  '  Here 
is  an  allusion  to  the  custom  of  immersion^ 
the  Israelites^  being  covered  by  the  cloud 
over^  and  by  the  water  on  each  side  of  them/ 
But  I  think  he  has  not  mended  the  matter  ; 
for  though  the  waters  surrounded  them,  yet 
(as  he  would  have  it  understood)  not  even 
a  spray  touched  them,  nor  a  drop  fell  on 
them  ;  for  then  they  w^ould  have  been  sprink- 
led. It  was  a  </rj/ baptism  :  A  baptism  with- 
out water.     Jonah  might  as  well  have  been 


28  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

said,  to  be  baptized  in  allusion  to  immersion, 
when  he  went  down  into  the  sides  of  the 
ship,  and  there  lay,  while  a  storm  hung 
over  him. 

5.  Baptism  signifies  our  obligation  to  re- 
nounce sin  and  put  on  the  character  of 
Christ. 

The  Apostle  says,  Rom.  vi.  4.  We  are 
buried  with  Christ  by  baptism  into  his  death. 
And  Col.  ii.  12.  Buried  with  him  in  Bap' 
tism.  The  plain  meaning  is  ;  by  baptism 
we  are  bound  to  die  to  sin,  and  walk  in  new- 
ness of  life,  in  conformity  to  the  death  and 
resurrection  of  Christ.  Our  brethren  im- 
agine, these  two  passages  afford  a  strong  ar- 
gument for  immersion.  They  tell  us,  '  The 
phrase  of  being  buried  with  Christ  in  Baptism^ 
alludes  to  the  manner  of  baptism,  which 
was  a  burial  in  the  water  ;  for  if  there  were 
nothing  like  a  burial,  the  phrase  would  be 
very  improper.  But  as  well  might  they  say, 
"^  The  mode  of  baptism  must  resemble  his 
crucifixion;  for  in  the  same  passage  the 
Apostle  says,  We  are  baptized  into  his  death, 
planted  together  in  the  likei»ess  of  his  death-* 
our  old  man  is  crucified  loilh  him.    Bui  1  am 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  29 

willins:  their  ari^ument  should  have  its  full 
weight  ;  tor  it"  they  think  immersion  can  be 
proved  from  these  two  passages,  where  our 
conformity  to  Christ  is  expressed  by  our 
being  buried  with  him  in  baptism,  they  must 
to  be  consistent  with  themselves,  allow  that 
sprinkling  can  be  more  clearly  proved  from 
those  numerous  passages,  where  our  justifi- 
cation through  Christ^s  l)lood  is  expressed  by 
the  sprinkling  of  his  blood ;  and  our  sanctifi- 
cation  is  expressed  by  the  sprinkling  of  clean 
water — by  the  heart's  being  sprinkled — by 
the  spirits  b*'ing  poured  on  us,  &c.  The  con- 
clusion then  from  this  arg^ument  will  be, 
that  both  modes  were  admitted  by  the  Apos- 
tles— both  are  valid  and  agreeable  to  the  in- 
stitution. Let  us  no  longer  contend.  This 
argument  bids  so  fair  to  reconcile  our  breth- 
ren to  our  practice,  that  1  could  willingly 
leave  them  in  full  possession  of  it. — 1  wish 
it  good  success. — But  if  it  be  attended  to, 
I  am  afraid,  it  will  appear  to  have  little 
"weight. 

How  was  Christ  buried  ?  Not  as  the  dead 
are  usually  buried   amons:  us,   but  as   rich 
men  were  among  the  Jews,  in  an.  apartment 
3* 


^  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

cut  out  in  the  side  of  a  rock.  Such  tombs 
were  called  sepulchres  on  high;*  because 
they  were  made  above  grouud.  Lazarus^ 
grave  was  ot  this  sort  ;  and  he  was  laid  in  it 
in  such  a  position,  that  upon  his  revival, 
?ie  came  for  th^  while  he  was  bound  hand  and 
foot;  but  he  could  not  walk,  till  he  was 
loosed.  '  Loose  him  and  let  him  go/j* 
Plunging  then  no  more  resembles  Christ^s 
entombment  than  sprinkling  does.  If  there 
were  any  circumsttnces  in  his  burial,  which 
baptism  can  resemble,  it  must  be  his  em^ 
halmmenl. — -It  is  said,  Aicodemus  brought  a 
viixture  of  myrrh  and  aloes,  and  wound  the 
body  of  Jesus  in  linen  clothes  with  the  spicesy 
as  the  manner  of  the  Jews  is  to  bury.%  And 
after  this,  the  women  prepared  spices  and 
ointments  and  came  to  anoint  his  body.  The 
expression  of  being  buried  with  Christ  m 
baptism,  may  allude  to  his  body's  being  an- 
ointed with  aromatic  ointments  at  the  time 
of  his  burial  ;  and  this  was  done  by  pouiing 
and  rubbing  them  on  the  body.  Accord- 
inufly  when  the  woman  poured  the  precious 
ointment  on  Christ's  head,  he  says.  In  tftat 

^  Isa.  Tcxil.  16.        t  j'ohn  xi.  44.         t  Jo^^n  xix.  40 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  ^1 

ihe  poured  if  on  my  hodij^  ^he^did'  it  to  my 
burial.  She  ?\v  come  to  anoint  my  body  to  the 
burying,^  Observe  ;  her  [)ouri«4<  it  only  o^ 
his  liedd^  he  calls  pourint^  it  on  his  body ;  as 
on  another  occasion,  a  woman's  dropping 
her  tears  on  his  feet,  he  calls  washing  iiis 
feet  ;  and  washing  F^tei'^  feet  was  washing 
htm.  Now  in  allusion  to  this  manner  of 
anointing,  christians  are  said,  to  be  anointed 
with  the  spirit,  and  to  have  an  unction  from 
the  Holy  One^  which  teacheth  them  of  ail 
thi?igs,'\  What  is  elsewhere  called  the  pour^ 
ing  of  the  spirit  on  them;  and  being  baptized 
with  the  spirit  ;.  is  here  expressed  by  the 
anointing  of  the  spirit,  in  allusion  to  the 
manner  of  anointing  by  pouring  oil  on  the 
head. 

III.  It  is  time  that  we  proceed  to  InjqAiire, 
in  what  manner  baptism  was  administered 
in  the  times  of  our  Saviour  and  his  Apostles. 

Our  brethren, and  particularly  the  gentle- 
man before  meniinncd,  think  it  very  mani- 
fest, that  immetaion  was  the  mode  practise 
ed  in  those  times,  because  the  persons  bap- 
tised are,  in  one  or  two  instances,  said  to 

*  Mat.  xxvi.  7.        t  ^  Cor.  i.  si.   and  l  Johu  ii.  20,  27* 


P$  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

go  itito,  and  c(>nie  out  of  the  water;  because 
souje  were  baptized  in  a  river ;  and  because 
places  abounding  wjth  water  were  chosen 
for  baptizuig. 

But  let  us  not  be  carried  away  by  the 
,  nieer  sound  ot"  words  without  examining 
their  sense. 

It  is  said,  Mat.  iii.  16.  Jesus  being  bap» 
tized  came  up  out  ot  tke  water.  The  Greek 
phrase  {apo  udatos)  properly  signifies,  from 
the  water;  and  tiierefore  implies  no  more 
than  that  he  went  down  to  it;  which  he 
might  properly  be  said  to  do  in  whatever 
mode  he  was  baptized.  And  as  all  natural 
coUei  tions  of  water  are  in  low  places,  so  the 
motion  to  and  /rom  them,  must  be  descend^ 
ing  and  ascending,  which  is  sufficient  to  ac- 
count for  the  expression,  he  went  up  from 
the  water. 

As  Christ  was  without  srn,  his  baptism 
could  not  be  in  token  of  repentance  and  for- 
giveness ;  and,^  as  he  came  to.  John  after  all 
the  people  were  baptized,  it, could  not  be  for 
an  example  of  baptism  to  them  ;  but  it  was 
evidently  his  public  consecration  to  the  min- 
istry, on  which  he  was  now  entering.     He 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  35 

chose  this  ceremony  of  consecration,  in  con- 
formity to  the  law  of  God,  which  had  insti- 
tuted a  similar  form  for  the  separation  of  the 
higii  priest  to  his  office.  And  therefore  he 
says,  Thus  it  becometh  us  to  fulfil  all  righ^ 
ieousness. 

The  priests  under  the  law,  were  to  enter 
on  the  public  service  of  God  at  the  age  of 
thirty  years;  Christ,  when  he  began  to  be  about 
thirty  years  of  age,  was  baptized.  They 
were  consecrated  to  their  office  hy  washing 
with  water,  and  by  anointing  with  oil »  He 
was  publicly  inaugurated  into  his  ministry, 
by  baptism  and  the  unction  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
God  says  to  Moses,  Aaron  and  his  sons  shalt 
thou  bring  to  the  door  of  the  tabernacle,  and 
shalt  wash  them  with  water ; — and  thou  shalt 
pour  the  anointing  oil  on  his  head.  Thou 
shalt  make  a  laver  of  brass  and  put  water  there* 
in  ;  for  Aaron  and  his  sons  shall  wash  their 
hands  and  their  feet  therein.  And  Moses 
brought  Aaron  and  his  nons  and  washed  theni 
with  water,  and  he  poured  the  anvmting  oil  on 
Aaron's  head,  and  anointe/t  hi^  io  ^unetify 
hiin.'*^     Til  us  also  were  the  Levites  cleans- 

♦  £x,xxix.4.  Ch.  XXX.  J9,  &c.  Lev.  viii.  6^1 12.  Num.  viii.  7» 


34<  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

ed.  God  says  to  Moses,  Take  the  Leviles 
from  among  the  children  of  Israel^  and  cleanse 
them.  And  thus  shalt  thou  do  unto  them  to 
cleanse  them.  Sprinkle  the  water  of  puri- 
fying upon  them. 

The  priests  were  washed,  not  by  the  im- 
mersion of  their  bodies  into  a  fountain,  but 
by  the  application  of  water  to  their  hands  and 
feet  from  a  laver ;  they  were  anointed  by  oil 
poured  on  their  heads ;  thus  they  were  pub- 
licly instated  in  their  office.  Christ  was 
baptized  at  Jordan  ;  after  his  baptism  he  was 
anointed  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  visi- 
bly descended  upon  him;  and  then  he  was 
declared  from  heaven  to  be  the  Son  of  God, 
and  the  people  were  commanded  to  hear 
Ji'iflii  Alluding  to  the  manner  in  which  the 
priests  were  consecrated,  the  prophet,  in  the 
person  of  Christ,  says,  The  spirit  of  the  Lord 
is  upon  me,  because  he  hath  anointed  me  to 
preach  the  gospel  *  Peter,  speaking  of  the 
word  which  God  sent  to  Israel  by  Christ, 
say^,  That  wo*d  ye  know^  which  began  from 
Galilee y  after  the  baptism  ivhich  John  preach^ 

*  Isai.  Ixi.  1. 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  35 

ed^  how  God  anointed  Jesua  of  Nazareth  with 
ih  e  Holy  Gliost^  and  with  power. 

Now  as  in  the  account  given  by  the  Evan- 
gelists concerning  Christ's  baptism,  there  is 
nothing  which  necessarily  imports  an  im- 
mersion ;  as  his  baptism  was  in  compliance 
with  the  instituted  usage  of  consecrating 
the  ancient  priests,  and  as  there  is  no  men- 
tion of  their  total  immersion,  but  express 
mention  of  their  par^zW  washing  ;  we  may, 
with  great  probability,  conclude,  that  his 
baptism  was  by  the  application  of  water  to 
apart  of  his  body.* 

But  though  he  had  been  washed  by  im- 
mersion, this  would  no  otherwise  be  an  ar- 
gument for  immersion  now,  than  as  an  in- 
stance of  the  use  of  ihe  word  baptize^  because 
his  baptism  was  a  different  thing  from  that 
which  he  afterwards  instituted. — And  as  it 
appears  highly  probable,  that  his  baptism  was 
3. partial  washing,  it  was  an  example  in  fa- 
vour of  our  opinion,  that  baptism  does  not 
signify  a  total  immersion ;  but  may  properly 

*  The  laver  in  uh^cb  the  priests  were  washed,  as  a  portable 
▼essel  of  brass,  standing  en  a  single  foot,  and  not  of  sutHcient 
capacity  for  the  immersioa  of  a  human  body. 


36  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

be  performed  by  pouring  or  sprinkling  water 
on  a  part  of  the  body. 

As^aiii,  Acts  viii.  38.  The?/  (Philip  and 
the  Eunuch)  went  down  both  info  the  water, 
and  he  baptized  him,  and  they  came  up  out  of 
the  water, —  This  passage  is  thought  to  favor 
immersion  :  But  it  no  more  proves  that  the 
Eunuch  was  covered  with  water,  than  that 
Philip  was;  for  one  is  said  to  go  into  the 
water,  as  much  as  the  other.  They  might 
be  said  to  go  into  the  water,  if  they  only 
stept  into  the  edge  of  it.  The  words  do  not 
necessarily  imply  even  so  much  as  that ;  for 
tlie  particles  rendered  into  and  out  of,  very 
often  signify  no  more  than  to  and  from;  as 
where  Christ  bids  Peter,  go  to  the  sea  and 
cast  his  hook — and  where  the  Queen  of  the 
South  is  said  to  come  from  the  utmost  parts 
of  the  earth.  Now  no  man  supposes  that 
PetGT  plunged  himself  into  the  sea  ;  or  that 
the  Queen  of  the  South  crept  out  from  un- 
der ground  ;  and  yet  the  Greek  particles  here 
rendered  to  and  from  are  the  same,  which 
in  the  case  of  the  Eunuch  are  rendered  into 
and  out  of  All  therefore  that  we  can  con- 
clude from  this  passage  is,  that  they  went 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM*  37 

down  from  the  chariot  to  the  water,  there 
Philip  baptized  him,  and  then  they  return- 
ed :  But  in  what  manner  he  baptized  him, 
we  can  no  more  learn  from  this  passage,  than 
from  any  other  in  the  bible.  But  if  the  ac- 
counts of  ancient  and  modern  writers  are 
true,  he  could  baptize  liim  only  hy  pouring 
or  sprinkling  water  on  him  ;  for  they  say, 
that  in  the  place  here  mentioned,  nothing 
more  than  a  small  spring  can  be  found. 

Here  is  no  argument  for  immersion.  Let 
us  now  see  if  there  be  not  a  conclusive  ar- 
gument for  sprinkling. 

Philip  heard  the  Eunuch  read  a  part  of 
the  53d  chap,  of  Isaiah  ;  '  and  beginning  at 
that  scripture,  he  preached  to  him  Jesus.' 
Among  the  things  which,  from  that  scrip- 
ture, he  preached  concerning  Jesus  was  the 
admission  of  the  Gentiles  into  the  christian 
church  by  baptism.  For  as  soon  as  they 
came  to  water,  the  Eunuch  said,  '  See,  here 
is  water,  what  doth  hinder  me  to  be  baptiz- 
ed V  If  Philip  had  not  taught  him,  that  bap- 
tism was  a  rite  of  admission  into  Christ's 
church,  how  should  he  think  of  asking  this 
question  ?  But  where  did  Philip  find  any 


38  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM, 

thing  relative  to  baptism,  in  the  period  of 
prophesy,  which  was  now  open  before  him, 
from  which  he  was  preaching  ? — It  was  in 
the  last  verse  of  the  preceding  chapter, 
"which  is  immediately  connected  with  this, 
and  which  is  quoted  by  St.  Paul,  and  ex- 
pressly applied  to  Christ.  The  words  are 
these  ;  '  Behold,  my  servant  shall  deal  pru- 
dently, he  shall  be  exalted  and  extolled,  and 
be  very  high.  He  shall  sprijskle  many 
nations,'  &c. 

These  words  evidently  relate  to  the  con- 
version of  the  Gentiles,  and  they  plainly 
teach  us,  that  the  Gentile  converts  were  to 
be  sprinkled,  Philip  certainly  baptized  this 
subject  in  the  manner  pointed  out  in  the 
passage  from  which  he  proved  to  him  the 
necessity  of  his  being  baptized. 

These  two  passaQ:es,  in  their  connexion, 
are  sufficient  to  decide  the  whole  controver- 
sy concerning  the  mode  of  baptism. 

It  is  said,  Mark  i.  5.  They  were  baptized 
of  Jahn  in  the  river  of  Jordan,  Hence  some 
have  concluded  that  they  were  plunged  in 
the  river.  But  this  is  a /orc^rf  conclusion. 
Christ  says  to  the  blind  man,  whose  eyes  he 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  39 

had  anointed  with  clay,  Go  wash  in  the  pool 
of  Si  loam  *  Here  the  phrase  of  washing  in 
the  pool ^  intends  no  more  than  washing  his 
ei/es  with  the  water  of  the  pool.  And  with 
equal  propriety  John's  hearers  may  be  said 
to  be  baptized  in  Jordan,  if  only  some  of  the 
water  of  the  river  was  poured  on  ihe'iv  faces. 
We  read  John  iii.  23,  that  John  baptized 
in  Enon  because  there  was  much  water  there. 
It  is  asked,  '  Why  should  he  chuse  a  place 
abounding  with  water  to  baptize  in,  if  he  did 
not  baptize  by  immersion  ]'  I  answer,  these 
words  (polla  udataj  rendered  much  water^ 
properly  signify  many  waters,  and  may  be 
understood  of  various  rivulets  or  springs, 
vvhicli,  travellers  say,  are  the  only  waters 
there  to  be  found,  and  not  any  large  collec- 
tions convenient  for  immersion.  If  John 
baptized  only  by  affusion,  a  considerable 
quantity  of  water  would  be  necessary  to 
baptize  such  multitudes,  as  went  out  to  him 
from  Jerusalem,  and  all  Judea,  and  all  the 
region  round  about  Jordan, — Yea,  though 
ever  so  few  of  them  had  been  baptized,  there 
was  good  reason  why  he  should  chuse  a 

*  John  ix,  7. 


40  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM, 

place  to  preach  in,  that  was  well  suppHed 
with  water;  for  the  multitudes  that  attend- 
ed on  his  preaching,  in  the  wilderness,  at  a 
distance  from  their  homes,  would  need  much 
water  for  their  refreshment.  It  is  by  no 
means  supposeable,  that  suck  numbers  could, 
here  in  the  desart,  be  provided  with  change 
of  apparel  proper  for  immersion  ;  and  sure- 
ly, in  such  a  numerous  and  mixed  assembly, 
they  were  not  baptized  naked.  The  circum- 
stances of  the  case  therefore  lead  us  to  sup* 
pose,  they  were  baptized  by  affusion,'* 

We  read,  Acts  ii.  O^  three  thousand  bap- 
tized, in  only  part  of  a  day^  at  the  feast  of 
pentecost.  It  cannot  rationally  be  thought, 
that  these  were  plunged.  There  does  not 
seem  to  have  been  time  for  it ;  nor  is  it  like- 
ly they  had  change  of  raiment,  as  they  came 
to  the  feast  without  any  expectation  of  such 
an  occasion  ;  nor  is  it  probable,  they  could 
be  accommodated  there  with  any  conven- 
ient place  for  immersion.  If  there  were 
baths  sufficient  for  the  purpose  in  the  tem- 

*  *  John  did  not  always  baptize  at  Enon  or  Jordan.  He  be- 
gan to  baptize  in  Bethabara  beyond  Jordan,  where  we  read  of  wo 
river.* 


CHRISTIAN  BAPTISM.  41 

pie,  yet  it  is  very  incredible,  that  the  priests 
and  orficers  of  the  temple  should  be  willing 
to  accofnniodate  the  apostles  with  them,  m 
order  to  initiate  these  converts  into  a  reli- 
gion, which  they  were  endeavouring  by  all 
means  to  suppress. 

When  we  read  of  whole  families  baptized 
in  their  houses,  particularly  of  the  Jailor 
and  his  family  baptized  at  home,  and  at  mid- 
night too,  in  the  same  hour  in  which  he  be- 
lieved, we  cannot  think,  that  a  sufficiency 
of  water,  and  other  conveniences  for  a  decent 
immersion,  could  be  procured  on  so  sudden 
an  occasion. 

When  Cornelius  and  his  friends  received 
the  gospel,  Peter  asks,  not  whether  any  man 
could  hinder  them  from  going  to  a  fountain 
or  river  ;  but  whetlter  any  man  could  forbid 
water ^  i.  e.  hinder  water  from  being^  provid- 
ed, that  they  should  not  be  baptized  ^* 

Paul  seems  to  have  been  baptized  in  the 
house  o^  Judas.  There  Ananias  found  him,, 
delivered  his  message  to  him,  and  laid  his 
bauds  on  him  :  And  he  received  sight  for th'^ 
with  and  arose  and  was  baptized. -^^ 

*  Acts  X.  47.         t  Acts  i:^.  la. 

4* 


lig  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

It  is  worthy  to  be  remarked,  that  though 
we  read  of  baptism's  in  various  places,  yet 
we  have  no  account  of  any  person's  going 
from  the  place  where  he  was,  in  order  to  be 
baptized  in  a  fountain  or  river.  They  who 
were  baptized  in  streams  and  natural  collec- 
ilions  of  water,  are  such  as  were  found  abroad, 
either  in  the  wilderness,  or  on  the  road, 
when  they  first  discovered  their  desire  to  be 
baptized. 

In  the  accounts  of  baptisms  recorded  in 
scripture,  several  important  circumstances 
•are  passed  in  silence  which  must  be  neces- 
sarily connected  with  immersion  ;  such  as 
fremoving  from  one  place  to  another  for  a 
sufficiency  of  water,  plunging  the  body 
wholly  into  the  water,  changing  the  apparel 
after  coming  out  of  the  water.  Such  cir- 
cumstances would  doubtless^  on  some  occa- 
sion or  othery  have  been  mentioned,  as  they 
must  necessarily  have  taken  place,  if  total 
immersion  had  been  the  invariable  and  in- 
dispensable mode  of  baptism.  The  total  si- 
lence of  scripture  concerning  these  and  simi- 
lar circumstances,  to  say  the  least,  renders 
it  very  improbable,  that  such  a  mode  was 
practised  at  all,. 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  4S 

IV.  It  now  remains,  that  we  consider, 
what  was  the  usage  of  the  primitive  church, 
upon  which  our  brethren  lay  great  weight 
in  this  controversy. 

The  author  ofthe  letters  says,  'The  whole 
christian  church,  for  1300  years  successively 
from  the  time  of  the  Apostles,  understood 
by  baptism,  immersion,  and  so  practised  ; 
Sprinkling  being  o?ilf/  permitted  on  extraordir^ 
nary  occasions/  This  argument  he  often  re- 
peats, and  depends  much  upon,  as  do  most 
of  the  advocates  for  immersion ;  for  they 
reckon,  that  the  early  practice  of  the  church 
in  this  matter  may  shew,  what  was  the 
practice  of  the  Apostles,  because  it  is  not 
likely  the  apostolic  practice  would  be  early 
and  generally  disused. 

The  truth  is,  the  manner  of  baptizing 
among  the  ancients  was  looked  upon  cir- 
cumstantial, and  no  way  essential  to  the  va- 
lidity of  the  ordinance.  In  the  times  near 
the  Apostles,  immersion  was  much  practis- 
ed, but  never  asserted  to  be  necessary  :  Far 
from  this  ;  sprinkling  was  expressly  allowed, 
and  frequently  used,  especially  in  cases  of 
infirmity,  haste,  or  want  of  water  or  other 


4*  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

conveniences.  This  the  author  himself 
concedes,  that  from  the  Apostles  times  for 
1300  years,  'sprinkling  was  permitted  on 
extraonlinary  occasions.^  Cyprian  (v\ho 
wrote  within  about  150  years  of  the  Apos- 
tles) speaking  of  sprinkliui^,  says,  'In  the 
sacrament  of  salvation  (i.  e.  haptism)  whea 
necessity  compels,  the  shortest  ways  of  trans- 
acting divine  matters,  do,  by  God's  grace, 
confer  the  whole  benefit.'  And  it  may  not 
be  impertinent  to  observe,  that  the  ancients, 
who  practised  immersion,  did  usually,  after 
the  body  had  been  plunged,  apply  water  to 
the  face.  So  far  therefore  as  the  practice  of 
the  ancients  is  of  weight,  it  proves  all  that 
we  contend  for.  We  do  not  say,  immersion 
is  unlawful,  or  a  meer  nullity  :  We  say,  it  is 
not  necessary,  but  affusion  is  sufficient  and 
agreeable  to  the  divine  word.  And  so  said 
the  ancient  church.  ^ 

1  hope  what  has  been  offered  is  sufficient 
to  justify  the  mode  of  baptism  admitted  in 
our  churches,  and  to  satisfy  all,  who  have 
received  baptism  in  this  mode,  that  they 
have  no  need  to  seek  immersion.  The 
question  concerning  the  mode  is  really  of 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  AfS 

small  importance  in  itself,  and  nothing  but 
the  controversy  about  it  has  made  it  other- 
wise. It'  our  baptism  is  treated  as  a  nullity, 
it  is  of  importance  tosatisfy  our  minds  :  And 
if  any  have  been  thrown  into  doubts,  I  hope 
the  consideration  of  w^hat  has  been  said,  will 
give  them  satisfaction. 


PART  II. 

DISCOURSE   II. 

I  COME  now  to  the  second  part  of  my 
design,  which  is  to  vindicate  the  right  of  In- 
fants to  baptism. 

The  method  in  which  I  shall  proceed  is 
as  follows.  I  shall  first  consider  the  usual 
objections  against  infant  baptism. — Next 
produce  our  arguments  in  vindication  of 
it." Then  briefly  touch  upon  the  reasonable- 
ness and  usefulness  of  it. — After  which  I 
shall  give  a  short  view  of  the  practice  of  the 
church  soon  after  the  Apostles. — And  then 
by  way  of  conclusion  shall  shew  the  absur- 


46  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

dity  of  separations  in  churches  on  account 
of  differences  respecting  baptism.  The  un- 
warrantableness  of  rebaptization,  &c. 

I.  1  will  distinctly  consider  all  the  mate- 
rial objections  of  our  brethren  against  infant 
baptism,  as  I  collect  them  from  their  writ- 
ers, and  particularly  from  the  author  of  the 
letters  before  mentioned. 

1.  It  is  said,  '  Christ  has  fully  and  plain- 
ly declared  his  mind  about  baptism;  and 
because  he  has  not  commanded  the  baptism 
of  infants,  he  has  s'wixx^Wy  forbidden  it/ 

Now  though  it  should  be  allowed,  that 
there  is  no  express  command,  yet  if  we  can 
find  a  virtual^  consequential  command  for  it, 
that,  I  trust,  will  be  a  sufficient  warrant : 
Otherwise  what  warrant  shall  we  have  to 
admit  females  to  the  Lord's  supper  ?  To  ob- 
serve the  first  day  of  the  week  as  holy  ?  To 
maintain  public  worship?  T/i€5t  and  many 
other  things,  are  no  where  enjoined,  in  so 
many  words^  but  yet  can  clearly  be  shewn  to 
be  agreeable  to  the  will  of  God.  What 
command  have  our  brethren  to  justify  their 
practice]  Where  is  the  passage  which  tells 
us,  that  baptism  must  be  coufiued  to  the 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  47 

adults  ;  and  infants,  though  formerly  admit- 
ted to  the  seal  of  the  C(wenant,  must  now 
be  admitted  no  more?  They  can  find  no- 
thing of  this  sort.  But,  I  trust  it  will  appear, 
that  there  is  what  may  properly  he  called  a 
command  for  our  practice.  If  that  passage 
in  Isaiah^  Lo,  I  have  set  thee  for  a  light  to 
the  Gentiles^  was  a  command  to  the  Apostles, 
to  go  and  preach  to  the  Gentiles,  as  it  is 
said  to  be;*  then  the  direction  given  to  Abra- 
ham our  Father,  to  aifix  the  token  of  the 
covenant  to  his  infant  seed ;  the  comnWssion 
given  to  the  Apostles  to  disciple  all  nations 
baptizing  them  ;  and  the  exhortation  of  Pe- 
ter^  Be  baptized — for  the  jiromise  is  to  you 
and  your  children^  are  commands  to  admit 
infants  to  baptism  ;  as  we  shall  endeavour 
to  shew  hereafter. 

2.  It  is  objected,  '  that  in  all  the  history 
of  the  New  Testament  there  is  no  example 
of  infant  baptism  ;  but  the  baptislns  we  have 
an  account  of,  are  the  baptisms  of  professed 
believers.' 

Bat  if  there  is  no  express  mention  of  in- 
fant baptism,  yet  we  cannot  hence  conclude, 

*  Act.  xiii.  46. 


4#  OHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

it  was  never  practised ;  any  more  than  we 
can  conclude,  that  some  whole  churches 
were  formed  without  any  baptism  at  all,  be- 
cause it  is  no  where  said,  they  were  baptiz- 
ed. If  a  plain  direct  example  be  insisted 
upon,  o.jr  brethren  must  certainly  give  up 
their  notion  of  baptism  ;  for  they  can  find  no 
ex  imple  in  their  favour,  whatever  we  can  ; 
as  wiil  be  evident,  if  we  only  consider  what 
is  the  question  between  us.  It  is  not, 
whether  adult  proselytes  should  be  baptiz- 
ed ?  But  whether  the  infants  of  professed 
believers  should  be  baptized?  There  are,  it 
is  true,  instances  enough  of  the  baptism  of 
adults,  who  had  been  converted  from  Juda^ 
ism  ov  Paganism  :  But  fhese  are  nothing  to 
the  point ;  for  we  allow  baptism  to  all  adult 
believers,  who  have  not  been  baptized  in  in- 
fancy. And  the  Apostles'  baptizing ^z/rA  is 
no  argument,  that  thei/  did  not  baptize  ew- 
fants,  any  more  than  our  missionaries'  bap- 
tizing adults  among  the  natives,  is  an  argu- 
ment^ that  the//  do  not  baptize  infants.  The 
question  is  merely  this  ;  are  the  infants  of 
baptized  believers  to  be  admitted  to  baptism  ? 
Or  to  be  rejected  ]  If  you  say  ihey  must  be 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  49 

rejected  and  suffered  to  grow  up  before  they 
are  baptized  ;  1  ask,  where  is  your  example  ? 
Did  the  Apostles  refuse  to  baptize  such  ?  Or 
among  the  adults  whom  they  baptized,  do 
you  find  any  that  were  born  oi  christian  par- 
ents? The  history  of  the  Acts  contains  a 
period  of  above  thirty  years,  and  the  New 
Testament,  a  much  longer  period.  There 
was  time  enough  for  two  or  three  generations 
of  infants  to  grow  up  to  adult  age.  We  have 
all  along  accounts  of  baptism.  But  it  is  re- 
markable, that  in  all  this  time,  there  is  no 
intimation,  that  any  one  of  the  children  of 
the  early  believers  was  baptized  after  he  grew 
up;  or  thai  any  one  of  those  adults  whom 
the  Apostles  baptized,  was  born  of  believing 
parents.  It  is  plain  then,  there  is  not  one 
example,  whi€h  in  the  leasts  favours  the 
opinion  of  our  brethren,  which  is  this,  lliat 
the  children  of  believers  must  he  left  to  grow  up 
before  they  are  baptized.  They  ask,  'Is  it 
not  a  little  strange,  that  we  no  where  find 
children  mentioned,  if  it  were  the  Apostles^ 
custom  to  baptize  them  with  their  parents  V 
And  I  ask  ;  is  it  not  very  strange,  that  we 
no  where  find  the  children  of  believers  bap- 
6 


60  CHRIS^TIAX    BAPTISM. 

lized  after  they  grew  up,  if  it  was  the  Apos- 
tles' custom  to  leave  them  unbaptized  till 
they  grow  up?  There  is  no  example  of  this 
kind.  But,  we  think,  we  have  examples, 
and  just  such  examples  in  favour  of  our 
practice,  as  we  should  have,  upon  supposi- 
tion, the  Apostles  did  baptize  children  with 
their  parents. 

Let  us  suppose  infants  were  baptized  : 
And  what  account  should  we  have  of  it? 
Would  the  history  tell  us,  such  an  infant  by 
name  of  such  an  age,  and  such  an  one  of 
such  an  age,  was  baptized?  No:  This  mi- 
nuteness could  not  be  expected  concerning 
infants,  who  are  seldom  known,  by  their 
names  or  ages,  out  of  the  families,  to  which 
they  belong.  All  we  could  expect  to  be 
told  is  this  ;  such  a  man  was  baptized  and 
Lis  family — such  a  woman  and  her  houshold. 
And  this  we  are  told  ;  Stephanas^  household, 
Lydia  and  her  household,  the  Jailor  and  all 
his  were  baptized  ;  which  are  plain  exam- 
ples of  families  baptized  upon  the  faith  of 
their  respective  heads  ;  as  1  shall  shew  more 
fully  hereafter. 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  51 

3.  It  is  argued,  '  that  faith  and  repentance 
are  the  conditions  of  baptism  ;  infants  are 
not  capable  of  these,  and  therefore  not  capa- 
ble of  baptism/ 

But  as  well  might  our  brethren  say,  '  Faith 
and  repentance  are  conditions  of  salvation, 
and  therefore  infants,  being  incapable  of 
these,  cannot  be  saved.'  It  is  expressly  said, 
He  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned.  It  is 
no  where  said,  he  that  beheveth  not,  or  re- 
penteth  not,  shall  not  be  baptized.  Faith 
and  repentance  are  required  on  several  par- 
ticular occasions^  when  baptism  was  to  be 
administered  to  adult  persons;  but  we  find 
no  general  rule  given  to  exclude  from  bap- 
tism such  as  are  incapable  of  faith  and  re- 
pentance. Our  brethren  will  not  exclude 
infants  from  salvation,  upon  the  authority  of 
those  texts,  which  make  faith  the  condition 
of  it;  and  surely,  if  they  will  be  consist- 
ent with  themselves,  they  cannot  exclude 
them  from  baptism,  upon  the  authority  of 
those  texts,  which  make  faith  the  condition 
of  that;  especially  since  these  texts  plainly 
respect  adult  proselytes.  That  such  must 
profess  their  faith  we  allow.     But  the  apos- 


52  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

tolic  practice  shews,  that  upon  their  protes- 
sion,  not  only  thet/^  but  their  households  also 
should  be  baptized;  as  under  the  ancient 
dispensation,  when  a  Gentile  became  a  pros- 
elyte, not  only  he  himself,  but  all  his  male 
children  were  circumcised. 

The  instances  in  which  faith  or  repentance 
is  enjoined  previously  to  baptism,  are  only 
when  adult  persons  inquired  what  was  ne- 
cessary for  themselves.  The  question  was 
not  concerning  the  qualification  for  baptism 
in  general ;  but  what  was  requisite  in  their 
0W71  case.  '  What  shall  we  do  ?' — '  What 
hinders  me  to  be  baptized  V  The  Apostles 
answer  the  question,  as  it  respected  those 
who  proposed  it.  Repent  ye  and  be  haptiz^ 
ed — if  thou  helievest^  thou  mayst  he  baptized. 
These  directions  only  prove,  that  a  profes- 
sion of  faith  and  repentance  is  necessary  to 
the  baptism  of  adults^  which  none  deny  ; 
but,  in  no  degree  affect  the  right  of  infants. 

Faith  was  as  much  required  under  the 
Old  Testament  in  order  to  circumcision,  as 
it  is  under  the  new  in  order  to  baptism  ;  but 
still  infants  were  circumcised.  The  Gen- 
tile proselyte  was  not  admitted  to  this  rite, 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  6$ 

till  he  professed  his  faith  in  the  God  of  Is- 
rael;  neither  was  the  adult  Jew.  During 
th«  fortv  years  that  circumcision  was  inter- 
mitted in  the  wilderness,  a  new  generation 
came  on  the  stage.  These  were  circumcis- 
ed soon  after  they  passed  over  Jordan.*  But 
previouslytothis,  they  had  solemnly  avouch- 
ed the  Lord  to  be  their  God.  Now  because 
faith  was  a  prerequisite  to  the  circumcision 
of  adults,  shall  we  conclude  that  no  infants 
were  circumcised  ?  This  would  be  contrary 
to  known  fact.  But  this  conclusion  would 
be  as  just  as  the  other,  which  determines 
against  the  baptism  of  infants,  because  a 
profession  of  faith  was  required  in  prose- 
lytes. The  truth  is,  all  arguments  drawn 
from  special  and  particular  cases,  are  imper- 
tinent to  an  inquiry  concerning  a  general 
rule  of  practice. 

The  author  of  the  letters  lays  particular 
weight  upon  that  passage,  1  Pet.  iii.  91. 
The  likejigure  whereunfo,  even  baptism^  doth 
now  save  us^  not  the  putting  away  the  Jilth  of 
the  fleshy  but  the  answer  of  a  good  conscience 
towards  Gud.     '  Here,'  he  says,  *  such  a  con- 

*  Josh.  5, 


J4  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

dition  of  baptism  is  required,  as  infants  are 
not  capable  of.  The  filth  of  their  tlesh  nn\y 
be  put  away  :  But  how  shall  they  ansvvei  the 
good  conscience?'  But  it  should  be  observ- 
ed, that  the  answer  of  a  good  conscience 
is-  made  the  condition  of  sal  ration  :  Not  of 
baptism.  He  might  therefore  rather  have 
said,  such  a  condition  ot  salvation  is  requir- 
ed as  infants  are  not  capable  of.  T/tis  is  a 
condition  of  salvation  and  baptism  too  in 
adults,  but  of  neither  in  infants,  who  are  not 
yet  moral  agents.  The  Apostle  says,  Cir^ 
cumcision  is  that  of  the  heart ;  but  surely  he 
did  not  mean  that  Jews  were  incapable  of  the 
fleshly  circumcision,  until  they  were  capa- 
ble of  professing  the  circumcision  of  the 
heart.  Baptism,  which  is  externally  the 
putting  away  the  filth  of  the  fiesh^  signifies 
our  obligation  to  answer  a  good  conscience 
toward  God,  This  obligation  immediately 
takes  place  with  respect  to  all,  who  are  mo- 
ral agents,  and  with  respect  to  infants,  when 
they  become  such.  Here  is  then  no  argu- 
ment against  the  baptism  of  infants. 

Let  us  see  if  there  be  not  a  plain  argu- 
ment/or it.     The  Apostle  is  here  speaking 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  66 

of  the  preservation  of  Noah  and  his  fan^ily 
in  the  flnod  by  means  of  the  ark.  The 
Apostle  to  the  Hebrews  says,  Bi/  faiih^  No- 
ah  ^  prepared  an  ark  lo  the  saving  oj  his  house. 
It  was  by  Noah^s  faith,  that  his  family  was 
brought  into  the  ark,  and  preserved  in  the 
flood.  The  like  Jig ure  whereunlo^  even  bap^ 
tism,  doth  now  save  us.  Where  is  the  like- 
ness  ?  Plainly  here.  As  Noah  by  faith  pre- 
pared an  ark,  by  which  his  house  was  sav- 
ed ;  so  the  faith  of  the  christian  parent  brings 
his  family  within  the  privileges  of  the  cove- 
nant. Salvation  came  to  Zaccheus*  house, 
in  C!^nsequence  of  his  believing.  They  en- 
joyed some  special  privileges  on  account  of 
his  faith. 

4.  We  read,  Acts  viij.  5,  that  when  the  Sa* 
maritans'  believed  Philip,  preaching  the  things 
concerning  the  kingdom  of  God^  they  were 
baptized  both  men  and  women.  Upon  this 
our  author  observes,  '  The  history  is  so  par- 
ticular as  to  mention  both  men  and  women, 
but  there  stops. — Had  the  sacred  historian 
been  a  little  more  explicit  and  said,  nien, 
women  and  children y  if  the  fact  were  really 


SS  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

so;   it  would  have  prevented  much  doubt 
and  controversy/ 

In  answer  to  this,  it  is  sufficient  to  say  ; 
as  the  seal  of  the  covenant  under  t'onner  dis- 
pensations had  been  affixed  onh/  lo  males, 
so  there  vras  good  reason,  why  the  historian 
should  be  so  particular,  as  to  mention  both 
men  and  womeiv,  i.  e.  males  and  females,  (for 
these  terms  are  in  scripture  applied  to  per- 
sons of  all  ages)  that  it  might  appear,  that 
the  covenant-seal  was,  for  the  future,  to  be 
affixed  lo  persons  of  both  sexes.  But  as  the 
seal  had  ali&ay^  been  applied  to  children^ 
there  was  no  occasion  for  his  being  so  ex- 
plicit, as  to  say,  men,  women  and  children,  if 
the  fact  were  really  so;  for  children^*  right 
to  the  covenant  token  had  not  then  been 
made  a  question);  and'  they  who  knew  the 
immemorial  and*  universal  usage  of  admit- 
ting Jewish  i n tan tn  by  c ire u m c isi o n ,  and  the 
infants  of  GenHie  proselytes  by  baptism,  did 
rtot  need  to  be  in&tructed,  that  infants  were 
entitled'  to  baptism  under  the  christian  dis- 
pensation. They  must  naturally  suppose 
-itj  unless  expressly  told  the  contrary. 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  57 

6.  It  is  urged  by  soine,  '  that  Jesus  Christ, 
who  came  to  be  our  example,  was  baptized 
at  adult  age,  and  that  we  ought  to  imitate 
him  herein/ 

But  his  example  is  no  more  an  argument 
aojainst  infant  baptism,  than  against  all  bap- 
tism under  the  age  of  thirty  years ;  for  this 
was  his  age,  when  he  was  l)aptized,  though 
he  was  certainly  capable  of  understanding 
the  nature  of  baptism  before  he  was  twelve. 
Do  our  brethren  think,  that  all  are  bound, 
in  imitation  of  Christ,  to  live,  unbaptized, 
twenty  years  after  they  arrive  to  the  age  of 
understanding  ? 

The  objection  before  us  is  founded  in  the 
supposition,  that  the  baptism  wliich  Christ 
received,  was  the  same,  in  its  nature  and 
design,  with  that  which  he  himself  after- 
wards appointed.  If  it  was  a  different  thing, 
no  argument  can  be  drawn  from  it  in  the 
present  question.  If  it  was  the  same,  then 
it  at  once  removes  the  principal  objection 
against  the  baptism  of  infants,  taken  from 
their  incapacity  for  faitli  and  repentance. 
For  Jesus  was  as  incapable  of  faith  in  a  me- 


58  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

diator  and  repentance  of  sin,  as  infants  are; 
though  from  a  different  cause. 

But,  as  I  have  before  shewn,  Christ^s  bap- 
tism was  his  public  inauguration  into  his 
ministry,  and  therefore  is  impertinently  ad- 
duced to  disprove  the  baptism  of  infants. 
When  we  are  asked,  why  Christ  was  not 
baptized  in  his  infancy,  it  is  sufficient  to  an- 
swer, because  he  did  not  take  on  him  his 
public  mAiistry  in  his  infancy.  To  argue, 
that  because  Christ  was  publicly  consecrat- 
ed to  his  priesthood  at  the  age  of  thirty 
years,  therefore  none  should  be  given  to  God 
by  baptism  in  their  childhood,  is  an  incon- 
clusive way  of  reasoning. 

Let  it,  however  be  observed,  that  though 
be  was  not  baptized  in  infancy,  yet  he  was 
dedicated  to  God,  by  such  rites  as  were  then 
in  use.  He  vvas  circumcised  on  the  eighth 
day  ;  and  on  the  fortieth  day  he  was  brought 
by  his  parents  into  the  temple,  and  there 
presented  to  God,  according  to  the  law, 
•which  required,  that  every  first  born  male 
should  be  holy  to  the  Lord.  This  example 
shews,  that  parents  ought  publicly  to  dedi- 
cate their  children  to  God  in  his  appointed 


6HRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  69 

way  ;  and,  since  baptism  is  now  the  appoint- 
ed ceremony  of  dedication,  it  shews,  that 
they  should  present  their  children  to  him 
in  baptism.* 

*  If  it  could  be  proved,  which  certainly  it  never  can,  that 
John  baptized  only  adults,  yet  no  argument  could  hence  be  de- 
duced against  the  right  of  infants  to  baptism  under  the  gospel 
dispensation  -,  for  the  baptism  which  John  administered,  was  not 
properly  christian  baptism. 

Though  before  Christ's  time,  baptism  was  in  use  among  the 
Jews,  yet  it  was  not  made  the  only  initiating  seal  of  the  covenant^ 
until  after  his  resurrection. 

John  was  sent  to  preach  the  baptism  of  repentance  for  the  re- 
mission of  sins,  and  thus  to  prepare  men  for  that  new  dispensa- 
tion of  God's  kingdom,  which  w^s  not  yet  come,  but  was  then 
at  hand. — Christ  instituted  his  baptism  after  this  dispensation 
was  come.  John'sHbaptism  materially  differed  from  this.  The 
baptism,  which  Christ  instituted  was,  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  John  did  not  baptize  in  the 
name  of  the  Holt/  Gho^t  j  for  some  who  had  received  his  baptism, 
confessed  that  then/  had  not  so  much  as  heard,  whether  there  tvere  any 
Holy  Ghost  He  did  not  baptize  in  the  name  of  the  Son,  or  ia 
the  faith,  that  Jesus  ivai  the  Christ ;  but  tvith  the  baptism  of  repen^^ 
anccy  saying  to  the  people,  that  they  should  believe  oh  him  who  should 
come  after  him  ;  that  is,  on  Jesus  Christ.  Nor  did  he  baptize  into 
Christ's  death,  for  this  event  had  not  then  taken  place.  Had  John 
taught  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  the  Christ,  and  baptized  the 
people  in  his  name,  and  into  this  faith,  they  would  not  have7;2U5- 
ed  in  their  hearts,  whether  John  tuere  the  Christ ;  nor  have  asked 
hiru.  Why  baptizest  thou,  if  thou  art  not  the  Christ  ?  Nor  would 
Jesus  have  cautioned  his  disciples,  to  tell  no  man,  that  he  was  the 
Christ,  till  xfter  his  resurrection.  John's  baptism  was  designed  to 
prepare  men  for  the  faith  in  Christ,  when  he  should  be  made 
iHAsufest  to  Israel. 


60  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

6.  The  incapacity  of  children  for  the  ends 
of  baptism,  or  for  any  benefit  from  it,  is  of- 
ten urged  as  an  argument  against  their  be- 
ing baptized. 

Bat  what  is  decisive  in  the  case  is,  that  some  who  had  receiv- 
ed John's  baptism,  were  afiencards  baptized  in  the  name  of  *he 
Lord  Jesus. 

Among  the  many  thousands  from  all  Judea  and  Jerusalem,  to 
whom  Peter  preached  on  the  day  of  penlecost,  it  cannot  be 
doubted,  that  there  were  multitudes,  who  had  been  baptized  by 
John  ;  for  there  went  out  to  him  all  the  land  oy  Judea  and  they  ofje- 
Tusalemy  and  all  the  region  round  about  Jordan^  and  were  baptized  of 
him.  And  yet  Peter  says  to  them,  without  distinction,  Repent 
and  be  baptized,  every  one  of  you  in  the  name  of  Jtsns  Christ. 

An  insjance  still  more  plain  we  have  in  ihe  beginning  of  the 
19th  ch  of  Acts.  Paul  finding  at  Ephesns  twelve  disciples,  said 
to  them,  Have  ye  received  the  Holy  Ghost  since  ye  believed !  And 
they  said  to  him,  We  hare  not  so  much  as  heard  whether  there  be 
any  Holy  Ghost. — And  he  said  to  them,  Unto  what  then  were  ye 
baptized?  And  they  said,  Un  o  John's  baptism.  Then  said  Paul, 
John  verily  baptized  with  the  baptism  of  repentance,  saying  unto  ihe 
people,  that  they  should  believe  on  himy  who  should  come  after  him, 
that  is,  on  Jesus  Christ.  PFhen  they  heard  this,  they  were  baptis- 
ed in  the  name  of  ihe  Lord  Jesus.  And  when  Paul  had  laid  his  hands 
on  them,  the  Holy  Ghost  came  upon  them,  ^c. 

When  they  heard  this,  they  loere  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  The  meaning  cannot  be,  that  when  the  people  heard 
John  they  were  by  him  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  ;  be- 
cause then  it  will  follow,  tliat  Paul  laid  his  liands  on  all  the  peo- 
ple whom  John  baptized  ;  for  they,  who  are  here  said  to  be  bap- 
tized, are  evidently  the  persons  on  whom  Paul  laid  his  hands. 
But  the  sense  must  be,  that  when  tliese  t\yelve  disciples  who 
had  been  baptized  by  Jolin,  now  heard  Paul,  they  were  baptized 
by  him.     It  follows  then  that  John's  bsptism,  being  neither  in 


CHRISTIAN  BAPTISM.  6l 

But  really  the  question  is,  whether  there 
be  any  divine  warrant  for  their  baptism  ?  If 
there  is,  it  becomes  us  to  practise  according- 
ly, and  not  to  arraign  the  wisdom  of  God, 
That  there  are  some  rational  ends  to  be  an- 
swered by  infant  baptism,  and  that  it  is  a 
gracious  and  beneficial  institution,  1  trust, 
will  appear  under  another  head,  where  this 
objection  will  receive  a  full  answer.  In  the 
mean  time  it  may  suffice  to  observe,  that 
infants  are  now  as  capable  of  the  ends  of 
baptism,  as  they  were  anciently  of  the  ends 
of  circumcision.  They  may  be  brought  in- 
to covenant  with  God — may  have  privileges 
made  over  to  them — may  receive  the  seal 
and  token  of  privileges — may  be  laid  under 
obligations  to  obey  the  gospel,  as  tlie  Jewish 
infants  by  circumcision  became  debtors  to 
obey  the  law — and  may  become  subjects  of 
that  justification  throus^h  Christ's  blood, 
that  renovation  of  the  Spirit,  and  title  to 

the  name  of  Christ,  nor  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  was  different  f»ora 
that  which  Christ  instituted;  and  no  arguments  can  be  drawn 
from  the  former,  to  determine  the  mode,  or  s»il>jects  of  the  lat- 
ter ;  nor  can  the  repetition  of  christian  baptism  be  justified  from 
this  example  of  Paul. 


6'2  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

eternal  life,  which  are  signified  and  repre- 
sented in  baptism. 

1  have  now  given  you  a  view  of  all  the 
material  arguments,  which  are  brought  to 
disprove  infant  baptism.  And  what  has  been 
said  in  answer  to  them  is,  I  think,  sufficient 
toshevv,  that  they  have  no  real  weight.  The 
way  is  now  prepared  to  bring  forward  our 
arguments  in  vindication  of  this  point,  which 
was  the  second  thing  proposed. 

11.  We  will  here  take  a  distinct  view  of 
the  principal  arguments  in  defence  of  the 
right  of  believer's  infants  to  baptism,  and  en- 
deavour to  estabhsh  them  against  the  cavils 
of  our  opponents,  and  particularly  the  au- 
thor of  the  letters  before  mentioned. 

1.  Our  first  argument  shall  be  taken  from 
the  Abrahcnnic  coveu?iY)t,  together  with  the 
Apostle's  explanation  of  it. 

In  the  17th  chap,  of  Gen.  we  find,  that 
God  made  a  covenant  with  Abraham  and 
his  seed,  into  which  his  infants  were  express- 
ly taken,  together  with  himself,  by  the  same 
rite  and  token.  This  covenant  compre- 
hended not  only  his  natural  seed,  but  the 
stranger  who  was'not  of  his  seed.     It  was  a 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  65 

spiritual  coven^int.  The  capital  promise  of 
it  was,  I  will  be  a  God  to  thee  and  thy  seed 
after  thee, — This  was  the  same  covenant, 
which  now  subsists,  and  which  we  are  now 
under  in  this  gospel  age,  as  the  Apostle  ex- 
pressly teaches  us,  in  the  4th  chap,  to  Rom. 
and  3d  chap,  to  Gal.  where  he  argues  from 
the  covenant  with  Abraham,  to  shew  the 
nature  and  extent  of  the  gospel  covenant. 
He  testifies,  that  all  believers  under  the  gos- 
pel, whether  Jews  or  Gentiles,  are  the  spirit- 
ual seed  o^  Abraham,  and  consequently  heirs 
of  the  promise  made  to  him — that  the  cove- 
nant made  with  Abraham  was  confirmed  of 
God^n  Christ — tliat  the  law  which  was  giv- 
en afterwards  did  not  disannul  the  covenant, 
or  vacate  the  {)romise — that  the  gospel  was 
preached  to  Abraham^  in  that  promise  of  the 
covenant  with  him,  In  thee  shall  all  nativris 
be  blessed — that  the  blessing  of  Abraham  is 
come  upon  the  Gentiles  through  Christ — 
that  the  promise  made  to  Abraham  is  sure 
to  all  the  seed,  not  only  to  that  which  is  of 
the  law,  but  to  that  also  which  is  of  the 
faith  of  Abraham,  who  is  the  father  of  us  all, 
as  it  is  written,  //^aye  made  thee  a  father  of 


64  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM, 

many  nations — that  they  who  are  of  faith 
are  the  children  o\' Abraham^  and  to  Abraham 
and  his  seed  were  the  promises  made — and 
much  more  to  the  same  purpose. 

Now  if  we  are  the  seed  of  Abraham^  for 
whom  the  covenant  with  him  was  establish- 
ed, and  are  still  under  the  selfsame  cove- 
nant, then  the  same  privileges  that  were 
herein  granted  to  him,  belong  to  us.  One 
grant  of  that  covenant  was,  that  infants 
should  be  received  with  their  parents  by  the 
same  sign  and  seal  ;  and  therefore  we,  as  the 
seed  of  Abraham^  may  claim  this  privilege 
for  owr  infants.  Yea,  God  not  only  allow- 
ed, but  commanded^  that  the  appointed  to- 
ken of  the  covenant  should  be  affixed  to  ev- 
ery male  child  who  was  not  under  eight 
days  old.  Here  then  is  a  plain  command 
given  to  Abraham  our  father,  and  conse- 
quently to  us  his  children,  to  apply  the  to- 
ken of  this  very  covenant,  which  we  are 
now  under,  to  our  infant  seed.  The  only 
question  is,  whether  there  be  now  any  token 
of  the  covenant  ?  Had  circumcisipn  been 
continued,  none  could  doubt  but  infants 
were  still  subjects  of  it  by  virtue  of  the  com- 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  65 

mind  given  to  Abraham,  unless  they  would 
expunge  the  4th  chap,  to  Rom.  and  3d  to 
Gil.  Circum-ision  has  ceased.  But  has 
Christ  appointed  any  token  of  the  gospel 
covenant  ?  Baptism  is  certainly  such.  This 
then  !s  to  be  applied  to  the  same  subjects 
as  that  vvas.  if  there  was  an  express  com- 
m  ind  to  affix  the  covenant  seal  to  infants  in 
Abraham's  lime,  and  the  covenant  still  re- 
m  lins  ;  then  the  covenant  seal,  whatever  it 
is,  ought  to  be  affixed  to  infants  now,  unless 
the  command  has  been  repealed.  The  change 
of  the  seal  makes  no  change  of  the  subject. 
There  must  be  a  command  to  warrant  our 
rejecting  the  old  subject,  as  well  as  to  justi- 
fy our  dropping  the  old  seal,  li  our  breth- 
ren ask,  why  we  have  discontinued  circum- 
cision, and  now  make  use  of  baptism  ?  We 
answer,  Christ  has  so  commanded.  Let 
them  produce  as  good  authority  for  affixing 
this  new  seal  of  the  same  covenant  to  believ- 
ers only,  and  not  to  their  children,  and  we 
will  comply  with  them.  We  demand  of 
them  to  shew  us  some  plain,  positive  order 
of  Christ  to  deny  the  seal  of  the  covenant 
to  those  subjects,  to  \^  hom  it  was  first  or- 
6* 


66  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

dered  to  be  applied.  Until  such  order  ap- 
pears, vye  boldly  affirm,  that  the  old  com- 
raaiid  remains,  and  to  act  in  disobedience  to 
it,  is  presumption. 

To  evade  the  force  of  this  ars^ument,  our 
brethren  assert,  that  '  the  christian  church 
is  an  institution  entirely  new  ;  a  structure 
erected  on  a  new  foundation,  distinct  from, 

and  unconnected  with  the  foundation  of  the 

' -  ...  ' ' 

patriarchal  and  Jewish  church ;'  for  they 
easily  see,  that  if  the  christian  church  is  the 
ancient  church,  continued  under  the  same 
covenant  which  was  made  in  ancient  times, 
then  the  admission  of  children  with  their 
parents  into  this  church,  will  stand  secure 
on  the  foot  of  the  former  institution.  It 
may  not  therefore  be  improper  to  pursue 
our  present  argument  a  little  farther. 

The  foundation  of  the  ancient  church  is, 
the  discovery  of  GocTs  mercy  to  fallen  men 
through  a  redeemer.  This  discovery  was 
first  made  to  Adam  in  the  sentence  on  the 
tempter;  and  afterward  more  fully  to  Abra- 
ham in  the  promise  already  mentioned.  This 
G')d  expressly  calls  his  everlasting  covenant. 
This  is  always  considered  by  Moses  and  the 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  6j 

prophets,  as  the  ground  <»n  which  the  faith 
and  hope  ot"  the  Jewish  church  rested.     Mo- 
ses says,*  Ye  stand  all   of  you   before  the 
Lord,  your  wives  and  iitlle  ones,    that   thou 
shpuldst  enter  into  covenant  with  iiim,  that 
he  naay  be  a  God  tj  tliee^  a^  he  hath  sworn  to 
Abraltam,     The    prophet   Ji-remiah,-}*   fore- 
telling the  gospel  dispensation,  describes  it 
by  an  allusion  to  the  covenant  with   Abra- 
ham, which  he  distinguishes  from  the  cove- 
nant of  peculiarity  made  with  the  Jews  at 
Sinai,  when  they  came  out  of  Egypt.     The 
apostle  to  the  HebrewsJ  applies  the  proph- 
et's description   to  the  gospel  state.      The 
old  covenant,  which,  he  says,  was  decayed 
and  ready  to  vanish,  is  not  the  covenant  with 
Abraham ;    for   this   he   calls   the  covenant 
which  God  would  make  in  the  latter  days, 
or    would   explicitly   renew   in   the  gospel 
time,  promising,  /  will  be  their  God;  but  the 
old  covenant,  which  was  to  vanish  away,  no 
niore  to  be  renewed,  is  the  ceremonial  cove- 
nant, or  that   which  Gnd  made  with   the 
Jews,  when  he  brought  them  out  of  Egypt, 

•  Deut.  xxix,  t  Chap.  xxxi.  31.  X  Chap.  viii. 


68  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

When  the  prophets  foretei  the  call  of  the 
Geniiles,  they  speak  oftheni  as  joining  thetn- 
selves  to  the  church  then  subsisting.  In 
the  49th  chap,  of  Isaiah,  God  comforts  Sion, 
the  Jewish  church,  in  her  desponden<^^'y, 
with  a  promise  that  he  uill  never  forsake 
her,  but  her  walls  shall  be  continually  before 
him.  '  Lift  up  thine  eyes  round  about,^says 
her  God,  '  and  behold  !  all  these  gather 
themselves  together,  and  come  unto  thee. 
The  children,  which  thou  shalt  -have  after 
thou  hast  lost  the  other,  shall  say,  the  place 
is  too  strait  for  me. — Then  shalt  thou  say, 
Who  hath  begotten  me  these,  seeing  1  have 
lost  my  other  children  ?  Thus  saith  the  Lord, 
Behold,  1  will  lift  up  my  hand  to  the  Gen- 
tiles— and  they  shall  bring  thy  sons,  in  their 
arms,  and  thy  daui^hters  shall  be  carried  on 
their  shoulders.' — The  children  of  these' 
Gentile  proselytes  are  called  the  sons  and 
daus^hters  of  the  church.  They  are  brought 
in  the  arms  of  their  parents  to  the  church 
'  to  be  nursed  at  her  side.' — No  words  can 
more  plainly  describe  the  admission  of  Gen- 
tile proselytes  into  the  very  church  which 
was  then  in  being,  and  the  solemn  dedica- 


CHinSTIAN    BAPTISM.  69 

tion  of  their  children,  as  members  of  the 
church  with  them.  Similar  represeniations 
are  frequent  in  the  prophetic  writings. 

The  words  of  our  Saviour,  in  lOlh  chap, 
of  John,  are  full  to  our  purpose.  'Other 
sheep  i  have  which  are  not  oi'fhis  fold  ;  them 
also  I  must  bring.^  1  must  bring  them  into 
this  fold,  the  Jewish  church  ;  for  what  other 
fold  was  there  then  existing?  'And  diey 
shall  hear  my  voice  ;  and  there  shall  be  one 
fold  and  one  shepherd/ 

The  apostle  Peter,*  exhorting  the  Jev^s 
to  repentance,  points  them  to  the  Saviour, 
whom  the  prophets  foretold,  and  says,  '  Ye 
are  the  children  of  the  prophets,  and  of  the 
covenant,  which  God  made  with  our  fathers, 
saying,  Jn  thy  seed  shall  all  the  families  of 
the  earth  be  blessed;  unto  you  first  God  hath 
raised  up  his  son,  and  sent  him  to  bless  you.^ 

Paul,  in  the  epistle  to  the  Ephesians, 
treats  explicitly  on  this  subject.  He  says, 
'  Ye  were  once  afar  off,  viithout  Christ,  ali- 
ens from  the  Commonwealth  of  Israel,  and 
strangers  from  the  covenants  of  promise. 
But  now  in  Christ  ye  are  made  nigh.     Christ 

*  Actsr. 


70  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

is  our  peace,  who  hath  made  both  one  ;'  i.  e. 
hath  united  both  Jews  and  Gentiles.  Now 
therefore  ye  are  '  no  more  strangers  and  for- 
eigners, hut  fellow  citizens  ivil  h  the  saints^  and 
of  the  household  of  God ;  and  are  built  on  the 
foundation  of  the  apostles  and  prophets,  Je- 
sus Christ  himself  being  the  chief  corner 
stone/  The  prophets  and  apostles  laid  the 
same  foundation.  The  prophets  foretold  a 
Saviour  to  come  ;  the  apostles  preaiched  this 
Saviour  already  come.  The  predictions  of 
the  former,  and  the  doctrines  of  the  latter 
are  the  same  foundation,  the  corner  stone 
of  which  is  Christ  himself.  The  apostle 
adds,  '  Ye  have  heard  of  the  dispensation  of 
the  grace  of  God,  that  the  Ge'ntiles  should 
be  fellow  heirs^  and  of  the  same  body  and 
partakers  of  his  promise  in  Christ  by  the 
gospel.^ 

The  Jews,  who  were  baptized  on  the  day 
of  pentecost,  believed  that  Jesus  was  Lnrd 
and  Christ,  <m  evidence  derived  fnun  the 
prophets;  and  were  admitted  to  baptism  on 
the  toot  oi  the  promise  made  to  x[\e\Tfather&. 
The  same  pro!i)is(,  v,  hich  was  the  lounda- 
tion  of  tiie  ancjehl  church,  and  of  which  cir- 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  71 

cumcision  was  the  seal,  is  alleged  by  the 
apostle,  as  a  reason  for  the  baptism  of  these 
Christian  Jews  and  thtir  children,  and  as 
many  as  God  should  call  iVoni  anu.ng  the 
Gentiles.  Thechis-ian  church  here  stands 
on  the  old  toundaiion  ;  and  to  this  church 
were  added  those  who  afterwards  were  bap- 
tized. 

in  the  1 1th  chap,  to  the  Romans,  the  apos- 
tle expressly  declares,  that  the  Gentile  be- 
lievers are  grafted  into  tlie  same  olive  tree, 
from  which  some  of  the  Jews,  the  natural 
branches,  were  broken  off  by  unbelief.  '  If 
some  of  the  branches,  were  broken  off,  and 
th<^u,  being  a  wild  olive,  wert  gratted  in 
among  them,^  the  branches  that  remained, 
'  and  with  them  parlakest  of  the  root  and 
fatness  of  the  olive  tree,  boast  not  against 
the  branches;  for  thou  bearest  not  the  root, 
but  the  root  thee.  They  were  broken  oif 
by  unbelief,  and  thou  standest  the  faith. ^  It 
is  the  same  root,  which  beareth  the  natural, 
and  the  ingrafted  branches.  Some  of  the 
natural  branches  were  broken  off — not  all. — 
The  believing  Jews  continued  still  in  the 
same  old  stock,  in  which  they  had  before 


7^'  GHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

stood,  and  in  which  believing  Gentiles  were 
ingrafted.  The  Gentiles  were  not  inserted 
into  a  new  stock,  a  tree  lately  grown  up ;  nor 
were  believing  Jews  lopt  oti'  ironi  the  old 
tree  to  be  inserted  with  Gentiles  into  a  new 
one  ;  but  the  former  remained  in  the  old 
stock,  and  the  latter  were  grafted  in  among 
them,  to  partake  with  them  of  the  root  and 
fatness  of  the  same  oiire^  which  had  former- 
ly nourished  them.  And  it  is  observable, 
that  those  Jews,  who  immediately  and  rea- 
dily submitted  to  the  gt)spel5  on  its  being 
proposed  to  ihem,  seem  not  generally,  if  in 
any  instance,  to  have  received  christian  bap- 
tism. Heathens  and  Samaritans,  vvho  were 
not  of  the  church  of  God,  and  those  Jews, 
who  by  obstinate  unbelief,  and  open  oppo- 
sition to  the  gospel,  had  broken  themselves 
off  from  the  church,  were  on  their  professed 
repentance,  baptized.  The  other  continued 
in  God's  covenant  and  church.  This  thought 
we  shall  have  occasion  to  resume  hereafter. 
When  the  unbelieving  Jews,  shall,  in  the 
latter  days,  turn  to  the  Lord,  they  shall  be 
grafted  again — into  what  ? — Another  tree  I 
No;  into  TiiEiR  own  olive  tree;  for  thecov- 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  73 

enant  which  God  made  with  their  fathers, 
is  the  same,  which  he  will  make  with  them 
in  the  latter  davs,  when  he  shall  take  away 
their  sins. 

We  have  now  an  obvious  answer  to  a 
question,  which  our  brethren  often  put  to 
us.  '  If  the  children  of  believers  are  subjects 
of  the  covenant  seal  under  the  gospel,  as 
they  were  under  former  dispensations,  why 
have  we  not  some  direct,  positive  institu- 
tion, which  might  have  prevented  all  con^ 
troversy  ?' 

The  fact  is,  the  gospel  found  the  children 
of  God's  people  already  in  covenant  by  vir- 
tue of  the  ancient  institution  ;  and  a  new 
institution  of  that,  which  had  been  plainly 
instituted  befjre,  and  was  not  then  so  much 
as  questioned,  would  have  been  superfluous; 
not  to  say,  absurd.  The  gospel  has  made 
it  as  plain  as  language  can  m.ike  any  thing, 
that  the  ancient  covenant  with  Abraham  is 
still  continued  ;  and  if  children  were,  by  di- 
vine command,  to  receive  the  seal  of  ihe 
€ovenanyormerly,  they  are  to  receive  it  still, 
unless  the  command  is  somewhere  in  the 
gospel  expressly  revoked.  We  need  no  new 
7 


74f  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

institution  to  warrant  our  applying  the  seal 
to  them  ;  but  we  evidently  need  a  new  in- 
stitution to  justify  our  excluding  ihem 
from  it. 

Infant  baptism  stands  on  the  same  ground 
as  the  christian  sabbath.  If  it  be  asked,  why 
the  gopsel  has  not,  in  so  many  words,  insti- 
tuted a  weekly  sabbath,  the  answer  is,  it 
found  a  weekly  sabbath  already  instituted; 
and  a  formal  institution  of  that,  which  had 
been  instituted  before,  was  wholly  unne- 
cessary. The  apostles  took  the  sabbath  as 
they  found  it,  only  observing  a  different  day, 
after  Christ's  resurrection,  in  memory  of 
that  glorious  event.  So  they  continued  the 
ancient  usage  of  applying  the  seal  of  God's 
covenant  to  children,  as  well  as  parents  ; 
only  they  changed  the  external  form  of  the 
seal,  substituting  baptism  for  circumcision. 
The  ancient  institution  unrevoked,  if  we 
had  nothing  more,  would  be  sutficient  to 
justify  the  application  of  the  seal  to  infants. 
But  we  have  still  farther  warrant. 

Let  us  view  the  argument  in  another  light. 

2.  Circumcision  was  of  old,  by  divine  com- 
mand, applied  to  infants  :  And  if  baptism 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  15 

stands  now  in  the  place  of  circumcision,  then 
this  is  also  to  be  applied  to  the  same  sub- 
jects. The  consequence  is  plain  and  unde- 
niable. The  only  question  is,  Whether  bap- 
tism does  now  stand  in  the  place  of  circum- 
cision ?  This  is  the  point  to  be  proved. 

That' circumcision  was  the  seal  of  the 
covenant  with  Abraham^  and  was,  by  divine 
appointment,  administered  to  infants,  is  well 
known- — that  the  Abrahamic  covenant  still 
subsists,  and  is  the  same  as  the  Gospel  cov- 
^enant,  the  Apostle  plainly  teaches — that 
baptism  is  now  the  appointed  token  of  the 
gospel  covenant,  none  will  deny:  The  con- 
sequence is  obvious  ;  baptism  now  stands 
in  the  place  of  circumcision,  for  it  is  the  seal 
of  that  very  covenant,  of  which  circumcision 
was  the  seal  formerly. 

Again.  The  Apostle  says,  Rom.  iv.  II. 
Abraham  received  the  sign  of  circumcision^  a 
seal  of  the  righteousness  of  faith.  It  is  plain 
from  this  passage,  that  circumcision  was  a 
sign  of  spiritual  blessings,  the  blessings  of 
the  covenant  of  grace :  And  not  (as  some 
absurdly  pretend)  meerly  a  sign  of  wordly 
privileges,  such  as  aright  to  the  land  of  Ca- 


76  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

naan,  a  numerous  issue,  &c.  There  were, 
it  is  true,  temporal  blessings  promised  to 
Abraham  and  his  seed.  But  to  argue  from 
hence,  that  the  covenant  with  him  was  a 
meer  temporal  covenant,  and  that  circumci- 
sion was  only  a  seal  of  it  a.^  such,  is  as  ab- 
surd, as  it  would  be  to  say,  the  gospel  is  a 
meer  worldly  institution,  because  it  has  the 
promise  of  the  life  that  now  is,  and  of  that 
which  is  to  come.  The  Apostle,  in  this 
passage,  represents  circumcision  in  quite  a 
different  light,  as  especially  and  eminently 
a  seal  oi" spiritual  blessings. — That  baptism 
is  such,  all  allow  :  And  therefore  it  comes 
in  the  room  of  circumcision,  and  stands  in 
the  place  in  which  that  once  stood. 

Farther :  These  two  rites,  though  different 
in  their  outward  form,  are  the  same  in  their 
spiritual  use  and  significancy.  Circumci- 
sion signified  our  native  corruption  :  So  does 
baptism.  Circumcision  pointed  out  the 
necessity  of  inward  purity  and  spiritual  ren- 
ovation :  So  does  baptism.  That  represent- 
ed our  justification  by  the  blood  of  Christ : 
So  does  this.  That  was  a  ceremony  of  ad- 
mission into  God's  church :  So  is  this.    That 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  77 

denoted  men's  relation  to  God  and  obliga- 
tion to  obey  his  law.  This  also  denotes  our 
relation  to  Christ  and  obligation  to  obey  his 
gospel. 

Bjt   the  Apostle  puts  this  matter  out  of 
all  doubt,  when  he  calls  baptism  the  circam^ 
cision  of  Christ,  and   urjres  christians  bein^ 
baptized^  as  a  reason  why  they  need  not  be 
circumcised. 

He  says,  Col.  ii.  11,  12.  Ye  are  complete 
%  him,  (in  Christ)  in  whom  ye  also  are  cir^ 
cumcised  with  the  circumcision  made  without 
hands,  in  putting  off*  the  body  of  the  sins  of 
ttte  flesh  by  the  circumcision  of  Christ,  buried 
with  him  in  baptism.  The  Apostle  here  calls 
baptism,  the  circumcision  of  Christ,  or  the 
christian  circumcision.  But  he  calls  it  by 
this  name  without  any  propriety,  unless  it 
stands  in  the  place  of  circumcision. 

The  author,  whom  1  have  several  times 
mentioned,  labours  much  to  evade  the  force 
of  this  passao^e.  He  says,  by  the  circumci' 
sion  of  Christ,  is  meant,  '' the  spiritual  cW'- 
curncision,'  or  renovation  of  the  heart,  in 
d'srin!"tion  from  'the  /z'/fera/ circumcision.^ 
Bui  this  cannot  be  the  meaning  of  the  phrase : 
7* 


78  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

F(^r  the  inward  spiritual  circumcision  is 
mentioned  in  the  prreceding  branch  of  the 
sentence,  under  the  name  of  the  circumcision 
made  icithoiit  hands.  And  it'  we  take  both 
phrases  to  sii^nify  the  same;  then  we  shall 
make  the  words  to  run  thus.  Ye  are  circum' 
cised  with  the  spiritual  circumcision,  in  being 
circumcised  by  the  spiritual  circumcision. 
Such  an  unmeaning  repetition  never  dropt 
from  the  Apostle. 

The  writer  says,  '  That  to  guard  the  Co- 
lossians  against  the  danger  of  being  seduced 
to  the  observance  of  circumcision,  the  Apos- 
tle tells  them,  They  had  received  i\\e  spirit- 
ual  circumcision — md  therefore  the  literal 
circumcision  was  not  necessary.^  But  hov^r 
did  this  spiritual  circumcision  or  internal 
renovation  prove,  that  the  literal  circumci- 
sion was  not  necessary?  Circumcision  used 
to  be  necessary  for  good  men  :  Why  not 
now  ?  According  to  this  interpretation,  ex- 
ternal ordinances  are  not  needful  for  true 
christians,  but  only  for  sinners.  Those 
among  the  Colossians,  who  were  not  sure 
they  had  received  the  .s/?2V2VMa/ circumcision, 
could  not  apply  this  argument;  and  there^ 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  79 

fore,  according  to  our  author,  must  still  ob- 
serve the  literal  circumcision.  Besides  ;  the 
same  argument  would  prove,  that  they  need 
not  be  baptized  ;  for  if  they  had  received  the 
spiritual  washing  of  sanctification,  what  oc- 
casion was  there  for  the  literal  washing  of 
baptism?  And  yet,  according  to  him,  none 
must  be  baptized,  but  actual  believers  ;  so 
that,  if  we  admit  his  construction  of  the  pas- 
sage, we  must  disallow  of  all  baptism. 

Our  author  says,  '  In  the  Apostles  days, 
the  christians  converted  from  Judaism  were 
zealous  to  incorporate  circumcision  with 
Christianity. --D-)  the  Apostles  instruct  them, 
that  they  need  not  be  so  tenacious  of  one 
rile^  since  another  is  appointed  in  its  stead  I 
Such  an  observation  would  have  been  much 
to  the  purpose — hut  nothing  can  be  found 
of  it  in  their  reasonings  to  dissuade  chris- 
tians from  circumcision.^ 

But  the  gentleman  is  under  a  great  mis- 
take. The  Jewish  converts  were  zealous  to  • 
incorporate,  not  meerly  circumcision,  but 
the  whole  ceremonial  law,  with  Christianity, 
They  contended  for  circumcision  as  a  rite 
binding  to  the  observance  of  the  whole  lavv^ 


80  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

without  which,  they  imagined,  Christianity 
would  be  incomplete.  From  ttiis  notion 
Paul  labored  to  reclaim  them,  and  to  secure 
others.  He  did  not  oppose  circumcision 
simply :  M  he  had,  he  would  not  have  cir- 
cumcised Timothy^  nor  have  approved  infant 
circumcision  among  the  Jewish  believers  ; 
but  he  opposed  it  in  the  sense  above  men- 
tioned, as  binding  men  to  keep  the  ceremo- 
nial law  m  order  lo  acceptance  with  God. 
Though  he  had,  upon  prudential  reas<>ns, 
circumcised  Timothy^  yet  he  oave  no  place 
to  those  who  would  compel  Titus  to  be  cir- 
cumcised, that  they  might  bring  him  and 
others  into  bondage  to  the  law.  Now  what 
argument  d(Xfs  he  use  to  dissuade  the  Co- 
lossian  believers  from  circumcision  and  the 
observance  of  the  law  ?  It  is  this  :  They  had 
received  baptism,  the  christian  circumcision, 
and  were  now  bound  to  obey  the  gospel, 
"which,  being  a  complete  institution,  had 
^superseded  the  law.  Thus  he  reasons  with 
th<Hn  in  the  place  before  referred  to.  Be^ 
ware  l^st  am/  man  spoil  you  through  philoso- 
phtf  and  vain  deceit,  after  the  rudiments  of  the 
world  and  not  afttr  Christ — for  ye  are  com* 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  81 

plete  in  him,  and  so  need  not  add  the  ritual 
law  to  his  gospel ;  in  uhotn  ye  are  circmncis^ 
ed — with  the  circumcision  of  Christy  or  chris- 
tian circumcision,  being  buried  with  him  in 
baptism. — Wherefore  if  ye  be  dead  with  Christ 
from  the  rudiments  of  the  world ;  if  by  baptism 
into  his  death  ye  are  freed  from  the  rites  of 
the  Mosaic  dispensation,  why.,  as  though  liv^ 
ing  in  the  world.,  or  under  that  dispensation, 
are  ye  subject  to  ordinances  ?  You  see,  that 
the  Apostle  urges  their  baptism  into  Christ, 
as  a  jeason  why  they  should  not  be  subject 
to  circumcision  and  the  rites  of  the  ceremo- 
nial law,  for  which  the  Jews  contended. 
He  uses  the  very  argument  to  dissuade  them 
from  circumcision,  which  this  author  says,  he 
would  use,  if  baptism  came  in  its  place  :  And 
therefore,  by  his  own  concession,  baptism 
does  come  in  its  place.  And  if  so,  then  it 
is  undeniably  to  be  administered  to  the  same 
subjects,  even  the  infants  of  believing  par- 
ents. 

We  are  told,*  that  some  of  the  believing 
Jews  at  Jerusalem  were  much  displeased, 
when  they  heard  that  Paul  taught  iini  Jews, 

*  Acts  xxi.  21. 


8:9  CH!RISTIAN   BAPTISM. 

who  were  among  the  Gentiles^  that  they 
ought  not  to  circumcise  their  children.  W  ou  Id 
it  have  satisfied  such  zealous  contenders  for 
infant  circumcision,  to  have  told  them,  bap- 
tism now  came  in  the  place  of  that  ancient 
ceremony,  but  yet  must  not  be  applied  to 
their  children  ?  This  would  but  have  pro- 
voked them  the  more.  Had  it  not  been  the 
usage  of  the  Apostles  to  admit  children  with 
their  parents  into  covenant  by  the  same  rite, 
certainly  the  Jews,  among  other  objections 
against  the  gospel,  would  have  urged  this, 
that  it  excluded  their  children  from  cove- 
nant privileges.  They  were  apt  enough  to 
make  objections,  and  since  we  find  none  of 
this  sort,  we  may  conclude,  there  was  no 
room  for  any. 

That  infants,  under  the  patriarchal  and 
Mosaic  dispensations,  were  admitted  into 
covenant  by  a  particular  token,  is  certain. 
It  is  evident,  this  was  considered  as  a  privi- 
lege. It  is  allowed,  that  the  gospel  confers 
greater  privileges  than  former  dispensations  : 
But  if  children  are  now  shut  out  of  cove- 
nant, then  the  gospel,  instead  of  enlara^ing, 
has  in  this  respect, diminished  our  privileges. 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  83 

But  says  our  author,  '  The  infldllibility  of 
the  Roman  church  may  be  proved  in  the 
sp.me  manner;  as  thus:  The  people  of  God 
under  the  Old  Testament  enjoyed  the  bene- 
fit of  intahibilty.  The  high  priest  had  the 
Urim  and  rhummim,  by  which  the  mind  of 
God  was  known,  &c. ;  consequently  there 
must  be  infallibility  in  the  christian  church; 
otherwise  the  less  perfect  disjjensation  of 
Moses  will  have  a  great  privilege  beyond  the 
christian.^ 

The  truth  is,  The  christian  dispensation 
has  this  privilege  far  beyond  the  Mosaic, 
The  additional  revelation  of  the  gos[)el  dis- 
covers the  mind  of  God  as  infallibly,  and  far 
more  fully  and  extensively  than  ever  it  was 
discovered  by  Urim  and  Thummim. — Such 
occasional  discoveries  now  are  not  needed, 
since  we  have  a  complete^  standing  revelation. 

The  author  of  the  letters  tells  us,  that 
circumcision,  '  that  Old  Testament  rite,  was 
a  useless^  burthensome,  injurious  ceremony, 
and  treated  as  such  by  the  Apostles/  And 
hence  he  concludes,  baptism  cannot  come 
in  i_ts  room  to  be  administered  to  infants,  as 
that  was.     But  where  do  the  Apostles  treat 


94  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM 


circumcision  in  this  manner?  The  reremo- 
nial  law  indeed  is  considered  as  a  voke  of 
bondage;  as  burthensome^  not  injurious^  for 
it  would  ill  become  the  teachers  of  religion 
to  represent  God  as  injuring  his  people  by 
his  institutions:  But  circumcision^  consider- 
ed as  a  token  of  the  covenant,  is  treated  as 
a  great  privilege.*     What  advantage  hath  the 
Jew  ?  And  what  profit  is  there  of  circumci' 
sio7i  /  Much  evert/  way.     It  was  a  great  pri- 
vilege for  the  children. of  Jews  to  have  God 
for  their  God,  in  such  a  sense  as  he  was 
not  the  God  o^  heathen  children  ;  to  be  born 
to  the  enjoy  pent  of  the  oracles  and  ordi- 
nances of  God  ;  and  to  be  under  the  care  of 
parents,  who  were  solemnly  bound  to  bring 
them  up  in  the  knowledge  and  service  of 
the  God  oi  Israel.     And  if  the  profit  of  cir- 
cumcision was  much  every  way^  then  the  loss 
by  its  abolition   is  much  every  icay,   unless 
there  be  something  appointed  in  its  room. 

It  is  often  said,  'Circumcision  was  appli- 
ed only  to  males:  Baptism  is  designed  for 
both  sexes,  therefore  they  are  not  parallel 

*  Rom.  iii.  i. 


€HRIS«IAN    BAPTISM.  85 

ordinances,  nor  can  we  argue  from  the  one 
to  the  other/ 

But  it  is  certain,  they  are  parallel  in  their 
main  design,  as  initiating  seals  of  the  same 
covenant.  And  females  were  admitted  into 
covenant,  as  well  as  males,  though  no  visi- 
ble token  was  appointed  for  them.  Every 
Jirst  born  male  was  to  be  publicly  presented 
to  God  in  token  of  the  obligation  of  the 
whole  family  to  be  holy  to  him  ;  for  if  the 
first  fruits  be  holy,  so  is  the  lump.  So  the 
parent's  dedicating  his  males  to  God  by  cir- 
cumcision, was  a  token  that  all  his  children 
belonged  to  God.  Accordingly  God  equal- 
ly claims  an  interest  in  children  of  both  sex- 
€s,  by  virtue  of  the  covenant  relation  of  their 
parents.  God  says  to  the  Jewish  church, 
Ezek.  xvi.  7.  -^  entered  into  covenant  with 
thee,  and  thou  becamest  mine.  And  then  he 
complains,  ver.  20.  Thou  hast  taken  thy  sons 
€ind  thtj  daughters,  ichich  thou  hast  born  un- 
to ME,  and  these  thou  hast  sacrificed.  Thou 
hast  slain  my  children.  So  Deut.  xxix. 
10.  Ve  stand  this  day  before  the  Lord — all 
the  men  of  Israel^  your  little  ones,  and  your 
wives,  that  thou  shouldst  enter  into  covenant^ 
8 


86       ..  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

that  he  may  he  unto  thee  a  God — as  he  hath 
sicor?i  to  Abraham.  They  were  all  admitted 
into  covenant,  though  the  males  only  receiv- 
ed the  visible  token.  But  under  the  gospel 
there  is  no  distinction  of  male  and  female, 
but  all  are  one  in  Christ,  the  visible  seal  be- 
ing affixed  to  one  as  well  as  the  other.  In 
this  respect  the  gospel  dispensation  is  more 
large  and  free  than  the  former,  that  it  makes 
no  distinction  of  nation  or  sex.  And  shall 
we  think  it  was  intended  to  be  contracted 
in  another  respect,  by  cashiering  a//  children^ 
who  are  more  than  half  of  mankind  ? 

The  author  before  mentioned  tells  us, 
that  '  children  were  admitted  to  the  passo- 
ver  ;  and  hence  we  may  infer  their  right  to 
the  Lord^s  supper  ;  as  v^^ell  as  from  their 
circumcision  infer  their  right  to  baptism.^ 

It  seems  probable,  that  persons  of  all  ages 
partook  of  the^r5^  passover  mentioned  Exod. 
12,  which  was  in  some  respects  singular, 
and  different  from  succeeding  passovers. 
But  it  appears  from  Luke  ii.  49,  that  it  was 
not  the  custom  of  the  feast ^  for  parents  to 
bring  their  children  to  it,  until  they  were 
about  twelve  years  old;  at  which  age,  they 


CHRIS:|IAN    BAPTISM.  87 

might  be  able  to  inquire  of  their  parents, 
What  mean  ye  by  this  service  !  And  at  this 
age,  no  doubt,  many  are  capable  of  under- 
standing the  nature  and  end  of  the  Lord's 
supper.* 

But  if  infants  had  been  usually  admitted 
to  the  passover,  it  would  not  in  the  least 
weaken  our  argument  from  circumcision  ; 
for  the  passover  was  not  a  seal  of  tlie  Aura" 

*  '  Children  at  the  age  of  12  years,  were  brought  by  their  par- 
ents to  the  tenaple  :  And  from  that  time  they  began  to  eat  of  the 
passover  and  other  sicrifices.  Hyicanus  in  Josephus,  B.  12. 
Chap.  iv.  says,  1  he  Jewish  law  forbids  the  son  to  eat  of  the  sac- 
rifices, before  he  has  come  to  the  temple,  and  there  himself  pre- 
sented an  offering  to  God.'  (Pol.  Synop.  in  Exod  xii.  25. 

The  law  prescribed,  that  when  the  Jews  oere  come  into  the 
land,  which  God  would  give  them,  all  their  males  should  appear 
before  him  every  year  at  the  passover,  in  the  place  which  he 
appointed.  But  it  is  added.  They  shall  not  appear  before  me  empty y 
but  every  one  according  to  the  gift  of  his  hand.  (Deut,  xvi.  16,  and 
alibi,  vide.  Marg.) 

The  male,  or  men  children,  who  were  to  appear  before  God,, 
in  their  appointed  place,  to  eat  of  the  passover,  were  only  such 
as  could  bring  a  gift  in  their  hand;  or  present  an  offering  for 
themselves.  This  probably  is  the  law  to  which  Hyrcanus  al- 
ludes. Bp.  Patrick,  who  was  very  learned  in  the  Jewish  laws  and 
customs,  says,  *  When  children  were  twelve  years  old,  their  par- 
ents were  bound  to  bring  them  to  the  temple,  at  the  passover, 
where,  seeing  what  wasjtlone  in  this  festival,  they  would  be  led 
to  inquire,  what  mean  ye  by  this  service  ?'  (Comment  in  Ex- 
od. xii.) 


88  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM- 

haniic  covenant,  (it  being  appointed  more 
than  400  years  after  that  covenant  was  made) 
but  one  of  the  Mosaic  rites.  Now  the  ritual 
law  is  superseded  by  the  gospel ;  but  the 
Abrahamic  covenant  remains.  The  Lord^s 
supper  is  a  commemorative  sign,  intended 
to  shew  forth  Christ^s  death  and  bring  him 
to  our  remembrance.  But  baptism  is  a  tok- 
en of  admission  to  the  visible  privileges  of 
God^s  people  ;  and  therefore  infants  are  ca- 
pable otthis,  though  not  of  the  other* 

As  the  end  of  the  passover  was  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of 
the  deliverance  from  Egypt,  and  as  the  express  reasons  why  chil- 
dren were  to  attend  it  in  the  appointed  place,  was  that  they 
might  be  instructed  in  that  wonderful  deliverance,  parents  could 
not  view  themselves  as  bound  to  bring  their  children  to  the  so- 
lemnity, before  they  were  capable  of  inquiring  and  understand- 
ing what  was  meant  by  it.  Luke  tells  us,  chap,  ii  42,  that  the 
parents  of  Jesus  went  up  every  year  to  Jerusalem  at  the  feast  of 
the  passover  ;  and  when  he  was  12  years  old,  they  went  up  q/ier 
the  custom  of  the  feast.  Their  going  after  the  custom  «/*  thefecistf 
doubtless  intends  their  taking  their  son  with  them,  who  was  now 
12  years  old ;  for  it  appears  that  he  accompanied  them  ;  and  this 
is  the  first  time  we  hear  of  his  going  to  the  festival.  It  may  al- 
so be  observed,  that  the  males  only  were  required  to  appear  be- 
fore God  at  the  passover;  and  none  can  imagine,  that  infants 
and  suckling?  were  taken  from  their  mother''s  arms  to  be  carried 
to,  and  detained  at  the  temple,  during  the  continuance  of  so 
lung  a  solemnity. 


€HRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  8^ 

Some  perhaps  will  ask,  How  could  bap- 
tism come  in  place  of  circumcision,  when 
it  appears  to  have  been  in  use  betore  circum- 
cision, ceased]  Let  me  ask  another  ques- 
tion, How  could  Solomon  reign  in  the  place 
of  David  as  his  successor,  when  he  began  to 
reign  before  David  u as  dead?  There  is  no 
more  difficulty  in  one  question,  than  in  the 
other.  Though  baptism  was  in  use,  yet  it 
was  not  mdde  the  peculiar  initiating  seal  of 
the  g<»spel  covenant  until  after  Christ^s  re- 
surrection. 

It  has  been  inquired,  '  If  baptism  suc- 
ceeds circumcision,  why  w^ere  those  baptiz- 
ed, who  had  already  been  circumcised  V 
We  answer, 

1.  We  think  it  has  been  proved,  that  both 
these  ordinances  were  instituted  as  seals  of 
the  same  gracious  covenant  ;  and  therefore 
the  right  of  infants  to  baf)tism  will  not  at 
all  depend  on  the  solution  of  this  question. 

2.  It  is  evident  from  the  15th  and  21st 
chapters  of  Acts,  that  infant  circurneision 
was  practised,  with  apostolic  approbation^ 
by  the  Jewish  believers  in  the  christianchuxch 
m  Jerusalem,  and  in  other  churclies,  by  tiie 


90  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

Jews  who  were  members  of  them.  For 
though  the  apostles  and  elders  agreed,  that 
infant  circumcision  ought  not  to  be  requir- 
ed of  Gentile  believers  ;  yet  they  allowed 
and  approved  it  among  the  Jewish  converts, 
who,  having  been  accustomed  to  it,  and 
knowing  it  to  have  been  a  usage  from  the 
time  of  Abraham,  could  not  at  once,  be  per- 
suaded to  relinquish  it  for  another  rite. 

That  infant  circumcision  was  not  now  re- 
garded by  the  apostles  merely  as  a  ceremony 
of  the  Mosaic  law,  is  manifest ;  because,  in 
this  view,  as  we  have  before  shewn,  they  ut- 
terly disallowed  it,  and  strenuously  opposed 
those  who  contended  for  it.  They  must 
therefore  have  regarded  it,  as  that  '  seal  of 
the  righteousness  of  faith,*  which  was  ap- 
pointed to  Abraham,  and  continued  under 
the  patriarchal  and  Mosaic  dispensations. 
In  the  christian  church,  it  for  a  time  held 
the  same  place  among  the  Jewish^  as  baptism 
held  among  the  Gentile  believers.  Hence 
it  follows,  that  the  seal  of  the  covenant  was 
applied  to  the  infants  of  believers,  in  the 
time,  and  with  the  approbation  of  the  apos- 
tles, and  that  baptism  succeeded  in  the  place 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  91 

of  circumcision  ;  as  a  seal  of  the  same  cove- 
nant. 

It  is  no  objection  to  this  argument,  that 
the  apostles,  in  some  instances^  complied  with 
Jewish  customs,  for  these  compliances  were 
only  occasional :  But  the  observance  of  in- 
fant circumcision  among  believing  Jews  was 
general  and  constant  for  a  course  of  years, 
probably  for  30  years  together,  and  this  un- 
der the  eye,  and  with  the  advice  of  ail  the 
apostles. 

They  recommended  to  the  Gentile  believ- 
ers a  charitable  and  pacific  condesceniion 
to  their  Jewish  brethren  in  matters,  which 
interfered  not  with  the  institutions  or  doc- 
trines of  the  gospel  ;  particularly,  in  an  ab- 
stinence from  offensive  meats,  and  in  the 
observance  of  favourite  days.  But  they  nev- 
er required  or  advised  the  Gentiles  to  con- 
form to  the  Jews  in  the  observance  of  the 
Abrahamic  rite  of  infant  circumcision, 
though  this  was  a  rite,  of  which  the  Jew  ish 
christians  were  as  tenacious  as  of  any  other. 
The  reason  is  obvious  :  The  Gentile  believ- 
ers observed  another  rite  instituted  in  its 
place,  aamely,  infant  baptism. 


9p  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

If  under  the  chrisiiau  dispensation,  infant 
circumcision  had  been,  in  itself,  wrong,  it 
would  not  have  been  allowed  to  the  Jewish' 
believers.  If  it  had  been,  under  present  cir- 
cumstances, an  indijf'erent  ceremony,  like 
abstinence  from  meals,  shaving  the  head, 
and  purification  in  the  temple,  it  would,  tor 
peace  sake,  have  been  recommended  to  the 
Gentile  believers.  But  as  another  ordinance 
was  by  them  used  in  its  place,  there  would 
have  been  an  impropriety  in  their  adopting 
this,  and  therefore  it  was  not  required  of 
them. 

3.  It  is  an  undeniable  fact,  that  circum" 
eised  believers  were  frequently ,  if  not  gener^ 
ally,  received  to  fellowship,  in  the  christian 
church,  without  baptism ;  for  all  churches  had 
felh^wship  with  the  church  in  Jerusalem  ; 
and  Jewish  and  Gentile  believers  had  com- 
munion in  thesamechiirches.  That  Christ's 
first  disciples  were  baptized,  we  have  no  evi- 
dence. Thit  the  twelve  partook  of  the  first 
supper,  before  christian  baptism  was  so  much 
as  instituted,  is  undeniable  ;  for  it  is  evident 
frnu  Acts  xix.  .5,  and  the  author  of  the  let- 
ters himself  concedes,  that  John's  baptism 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  93 

was  not  christian  baptism.  Now  if  circum- 
cision was,  in  the  case  of  the  disciples,  suf- 
ficient for  their  admission  to  the  great  gos- 
pel ordinance  of  the  supper,  then  certainly 
it  was  a  seal  of  the  gospel  covenant ;  and 
therefore  the  baptism  of  believers,  already 
circumcised,  was  a  matter  not  of  universal 
necessity,  but  only  of  particular  expedience. 
It  seems  to  have  taken  place  chiefly  in  the 
case  of  the  Jews,  who  after  Christ^s  resur- 
rection, had  for  a  time  openly  opposed  the 
gospel,  and  the  superior  evidence  which 
then  attended  it.     Now, 

4.  There  was  a  manifest  propriety  in  bap- 
tizing some  who  had  been  circumcised,  al- 
though baptism  and  circumcision  are  sup- 
posed to  be  seals  of  the  same  covenant. 

The  long  expected  Messiah  had  now  ap- 
peared ;  a  clearer  dispensation  of  the  cove- 
nant of  grace,  attended  with  larger  promises 
and  more  liberal  privileges,  was  now  intro- 
duced ;  the  way  was  opened  for  the  admis- 
sion of  all  nations  into  the  church  of  God  ;^ 
and  baptism  was  instituted  to  be  a  seal  of 
the  covenant,  and  a  badge  of  distinction  be- 
tween the  church  and  the  unbelieving  worldv 


94  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

Though  circumcision  had  been,  and  still 
might  be  a  mark  of  discrimination  between 
the  worshippers  of  the  true  God  and  idola- 
trous heathens,  yet,  after  the  institution  of 
baptism,  the  former  rite  would  not  so  clear- 
ly discriminate  between  christians  and  un- 
believers in  general  ;  for  unbelieving  Jews 
would  still  use  circumcision.  It  was  there- 
fore proper,  that  the  circumcised  Jew,  when: 
he  embraced  the  gospel,  if  he  had  before 
openly  opposed  it,  should  submit  to  bap- 
tism, to  testify  his  belief  that  Jesus  of  Naz- 
areth, whom  he  had  rejected,^  was  the  pro- 
mised Messiah  ;  that  the  doctrine  preached 
by  the  apostles,  in  his  name,  was  divine; 
and  that  the  ancient  distinction  of  Jew  and 
Gentile,  male  and  female,  was  abolished, 
and  all  were  to  become  one  in  Christ.  Had 
none  of  the  believing  Jews  been  baptizedy 
there  might  have  remained  too  great  an  ap- 
pearance of  a  distinction  between  them  and 
Gentile  believers;  a  distinction  which,  after 
all,  many  of  the  Jewish  christians  were 
strongly  inclined  to  preserve,  and  which  the 
apostles  were  no  less  solicitous  toextinajuish. 
It  was  Chribl's  design,  that  his  church  should 


CHRISTIAN  BAPTISM.  96 

be,  and  appear  to  be  one  ;  that,  while  it  was 
distinguished  from  the  world,  it  should  har- 
monize with  itself,  and  keep  a  unity  of  spir- 
it in  the  bond  of  peace. 

Suppose  a  prince,  who  had  appointed  a 
particular  uniform  for  his  soldiers,  should 
think  proper,  on  the  introduction  of  a  new 
discipline,  and  the  acquisition  of  new  sub- 
jects, to  appoint  for  these  another  uniform  ; 
might  wp  not  expect,  that  he  would  allow, 
and  in  case  of  a  rebellion  raised  on  this  oc- 
casion, would  require  many  of  his  former 
subjects  to  adopt  the  same,  that  there  might 
be  no  distinction  kept  up  between  old  sub- 
jects and  new  ;  but  all  might  become  one 
harmonious  body]  And  would  any  man,  in 
this  case,  imagine  that  the  new  livery  came 
not  in  the  place  of  the  old  ?  Or  that  the  one 
had  not  been,  as  the  other  was  now,  a  badge 
and  token  of  allegiance  ? — No  more  can  we, 
on  this  ground,  pretend,  that  baptism  suc- 
ceeds not  in  the  place  of  circumcision. 

It  will  perhaps  be  asked  ;  '  Why  then 
ought  not  baptism  to  be  administered  on  the 
eighth  day  according  to  the  law  of  circumci- 
sion ?' 


Ste  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

We  answer:  It  was  not  essential  to  the 
validity  of  circumrision,  that  it  should  be 
administered  on  the  eighth  day.  It  was  not 
to  be  delayed  beyond  that  day  without  oc- 
casion ;  nor  ought  we,  wjthout  occasion,  to 
delay  baptism.  But  where  circumstances 
admitted  not  so  early  an  application  of  the 
seal,  the  delay  was  not  faulty  then,  nor 
would  it  be  now.  Circumcision,  indeed, 
might  not  be  performed  earlier  than  the 
eighth  day  ;  but  for  this  delay  there  were 
particular  reasons,  not  applicable  to  baptism. 
One  reason  might  be  the  tenderness  of  the 
infant,  an  1  the  weakness  of  the  mother, 
which  WDuld  render  au  immediate  operation 
of  this  kind  dangerous  to  both.  But  the 
princjjjal  reason  was  the  legal  impurity  of 
the  m-'ther  and  the  consequent  impurity  of 
the  child  for  the  first  seven  days.  This  rea- 
son is  expressly  assigned  in  the  divine  law  ;* 
If  a  woman  have  born  a  man  child^  she  shall 
he  unclean  seven  day^i — and  on  the  eighth  day 
he  shall  tte  circumcised.  But  as  the  legal 
im|>urities   have  ceased    under  the  gospel, 

s 
♦  Levit.  xii.  l,  «. 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  97 

there  is  no  such  reason  for  the  delay  of  bap- 
tism. 

Thus,  I  think,  it  undeniably  appears,  that 
baptism  stands  in  the  place  of  circumcision, 
and  that  the  arguments  to  the  contrary,  are 
futile  and  impertinent.  And  if  it  stands  in 
the  same  place,  it  is  certainly  to  be  applied 
to  the  same  subjects,  the  infants  of  God^s 
people. — 1  proceed  to  another  argument. 


DISCOURSE  III. 


3.  THE  right  of  infants  to  baptism  may 
be  clearly  inferred  from  the  words  of  our 
Saviour,  Mark  x.  14,  compared  with  those, 
John  iii.  5'.  Suffer  little  children  to  come  to 
me—for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  God. — And, 
Except  a  man  (ean  me  tis,  except  any  one) 
be  born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit,  he  cannot 
enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God. 

By  the  kingdom  of  God  must  be  under- 
stood either  the  Church,  God's  visible  kino-- 

o 

dom  on  earth  ;  or  Heaven,  his  invisible  king- 
9 


98  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

dom  above.  Into  the  former  we  are  admit- 
ted by  baptism,  which  is  the  sign  of  that 
spiritual  renovation,  by  which  we  are  pre- 
pared for  the  latter.  These  little  children 
are  called  itifants;  they  were  brought  to 
Christ ;  were  taken  up  in  his  arms ;  doubtless 
therefore  they  were  under  the  age  of  discre- 
tion. They  who  brought  them  were  believ- 
ers;  otherwise  they  would  not  have  sought 
a  blessing  from  Christ  for  them.  The  phrase 
being  born  of  icatery  signifies  being  baptized : 
So  the  author  of  the  letters  understands  it, 
and  numbers  it  among  the  passages  that 
speak  of  baptism.* 

Now  if,  by  the  kingdom  of  God,  we  un- 
derstand the  church,  then  here  is  an  express 
declaration,  that  infants  belong  to  the  church, 
are  Christ's  disciples,  and  visible  members 
of  his  body  :  And  consequently  have  a  right 

*  The  author  of  the  letters  says,  *  Christian  haptism  was  not 
yet  instituted.'  This  doubtless  is  true  ;  but  John  preached,  say- 
ing,  The  kingdom  of  God  is  at  hand ;  and  he  baptized  with  the 
baptism  of  repentance  to  prepare  the  people  for  this  kingdom. 
It  was,  therefore  very  seasonable,  for  Christ  now  to  instruct  ^ico- 
demusy  that  baptism,  or  being  born  of  toaler^  was  soon  to  be  the 
rite  of  admission  into  his  kingdom.  Bu4  whether  we  understand 
the  phrase,  of  •utward  baptism^  or  inward  sanctification,  our  ar- 
gument from  it  will  be  equaliy  conclusive. 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  99 

to  baptism,  the  only  instituted  sign  of  ad- 
mission into  this  kingdom.  Except  any  one 
be  born  of  icatei\  he  cannot  enter  into  this 
kinodom.  Hence  the  christian  church  is 
said  to  be  cleansed  by  the  ivashing  of  water  * 
If  by  the  kingdom  of  God,  we  understand 
the  invisible  kingdom  above,  then  here  is  a 
plain  declaration,  that  infants  belong  to  that, 
and  consequently  may  be  born  of  the  spirit; 
for  except  one  be  born  of  the  spirit^  he  cannot 
enter  into  that  kingdom,  which  flesh  and 
blood  do  not  inherit.  And  if  they  may  be  born 
of  the  spirit,  doubtless  they  may  be  born  of 
tcater,  or  baptized.  As  the  church  is  the 
gate  of  heaven,  so  baptisn>  is.  the  sign  of  re- 
generation. And  if  they  may  be  admitted 
into  heaven  by  regeneration,  they  may  be 
admitted  into  the  church  by  baptism.  If  the 
things  signified  belong  to  them,  the  sign  and 
token  must  be  supposed  to  belong  to  them. 
The  Apostle  Peter'\  plainly  teaches  us,  that 
they,  to  whom  the  promise  of  the  spirit  per- 
tains, have  a  right  to  baptism,  the  sign  of 
the  promise.  In  whatever  sense  therefore 
we  understand  the  kingdom  of  God,  the  con- 

*  Epb.  V.  26.         t  Acts  ii.  38. 


100  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

elusion  is  the  same,  that  infants  are  subjects 
of  baptism. 

It  cannot  reasonably  be  said,  that  the 
words — of  such — intend  only  persons  of  a 
childlike  disposition  :  For  then  how  would 
this  be  a  reason  why  little  children  should 
be  brought  to  Christ,  and  why  he  should  be 
displeased  with  his  disciples  for  endeavour- 
ing to  hinder  them  ?  This  makes  our  Lord's 
argument  run  thus.  Suffer  infants  to  be 
brought  to  me,  for  my  kingdom  consisteth 
only  of  adult  persons  resembling  children  in 
their  disposition.  He  elsewhere  makes 
Lambs  and  Doves  emblems  of  a  christian 
temper;  and  according  to  this  interpretation, 
he  might  as  well  have  said.  Suffer  Lambs 
and  Doves  to  come  to  me,  for  of  such  is  the 
kingdom  of  God  ;  i.  e.  it  consists  of  persons, 
of  a  lamblike  and  dovelikc  temper. 

Well,  'but  the  christian  rite  of  baptism 
was  not  given  to  these  children  ;  they  were 
brought  to  Christ  for  his  blessing  and  pray- 
ers, accompanied  with  imposition  of  hands.^ 
True;  biit  our  Saviour  declares,  that  such, 
i.  e.  the  infants  of  believers,  belong  to  this 
kingdom,  into  which  none  are  admitted,  but 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM*  lOl 

by  he'ino^  born  of  water ;  so  that  here  is  a  plain 
declaration,  that  infants  were  to  be  intro- 
duced into  his  church  by  baptism.  And  by 
taking  them  into  his  arms,  praying^  for  them, 
and  blessing  them,  he  shewed  that  such  are 
capable  subjects  of  the  intluence  and  bles- 
sing of  the  Spirit,  which  are  the  things  rep- 
resented in  baptism.  He  did  not  pour  wa- 
ter on  them  ;  but  he  performed  a  ceremony 
quite  as  sacred  and  solemn,  and  thus  shew- 
ed, that  infants  are  meet  subjects  of  that  ex- 
ternal rite,  which  denotes  the  conveyance  of 
spiritual  blessings  ;  and  such  a  rite  is  the 
ordinance  of  baptism. 

4.  The  baptismal  commission,  Mat.xxviii. 
19,  gives  a  plain  warrant  for  admitting  in- 
fants to  baptism.  It  runs  thus.  Go^  and 
teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name 
of  the  Father,  Son  and  Holt/  Ghost,  teaching 
them  to  observe,  &c. 

Some  will  say,  '  Infants  ?ixe  not  expressly 
mentioned  here.^  True  ;  neither  are  Adults, 
Bjt  Christ  uses  the  word,  nations^  which  is 
a  collective  term,  and  must  naturally  be  un- 
derstood as  including  both.  And  had  he 
intended  to  teach  his  Apostles,  that  persons 
-9* 


102  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

of  every  age  must  he  admitted  to  baptism, 
he  could  not  have  chosen  any  single  word 
to  express  it  better.  Baptize  all  nations. 
The  christian  church  is  called  a  nation.,  a 
people.,  because  it  consists  of  persons  of  eve- 
ry age.*  ^ 

But  it  is  objected  ;  *  Teaching  is  required 
previous  to  baptism,  which  infants  are  not 
capable  of.^ 

Here  let  it  be  observed,  that  the  word 
Matheteusate.,  rendered  teach^  is  not  tlie  same 
which  is  commonly  used  for  teaching.,  but  of 
a  more  general  signification.  The  proper 
import  of  it  is,  to  proselyte  o^  make  disciples. 
The  commission  then  is  this.  Go,  disciple 
all  nations.,  baptizing  them — teaching  them  to 
observe  all  things,  &c.  Here  are  two  words 
in  the  commission  rendered  Teaching,  The 
latter,  c^w/ascow/es,  signifies  to  indoctrinate; 
the  other  is  more  general,  and  signifies  to 
make  disciples,  which  may  be  done  by  intro- 
duction into  a  school  in  order  to  future 
teaching. 

Now  if  we  can  shew,  that  infants  are  ever 
considered    as    disciples as    belonging   to 

*  1  Pet,  ii.  9. 


CHRISTFAN^    BAPTISM.  103 

Chrlat^  then  it  will  appear  that  they  come 
wiihin  the  commission,  Disciple  all  nations, 
baptizing  them.  We  are  told,  Mat.  xviii.  5> 
That  Jesus  having  set  a  little  child  before 
hi  m,  said,  JVhasoever  shall  receive  cnesuch  lit- 
tle child  in  my  name  receivtth  me.  To  re- 
ceive one  in  Chrisfs  name,  is  to  receive  him 
as  being  Christ'* s  disciple  and  as  belonging  to 
him.  So  the  phrase  is  explained,  Mark  ix. 
4 1 .  Whosoever  shall  give  you  a  cup  of  water 
in  my  name,  because  ye  belons;  to  Christ, 
And  Mat.  x.  42.  Whosoever  shall  give  to  one 
of  these  little  ones  a  cup  of  neater  only  in  the 
name  of  a  disciple,  shall  not  lose  his  reward. 
It  is  plain  here  that  infants,  who  are  to  be 
received  in  Christ^ s name  may  be  his  disciples 
2ind  belong  to  him,  to  his  church  and  king- 
dom. Accordingly  they  who  contended, 
that  persons  under  the  gospel  ouoht  to  be 
circumcised  after  the  manner  of  Moses,,  are 
said  to  tempt  God  to  put  a  yoke  on  the  necks 
of  the  disciples.  Acts  x  v.  10.  Infants  were 
to  be  circumcised  after  the  manner  of  Aloi- 
ses, and  therefore  are  comprehended  among 
the  disciples,  on  whom  the  yoke  would  be 
laid.     The  commission  then  must  respect 


104  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

infants  as  well  as  others.  The  apostles  had 
before  been  instructed  to  receive  not  only 
adults,  but  also  little  children  in  Christ's 
name,  and  as  his  disciples.  Now  a  particu- 
lar rite  is  appointed,  hy  which  they  should 
receive  or  disciple  them  in  his  name.  Dis- 
ciple all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name 
of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  dfc. 

But  the  author  of  the  letters  says,  '  The 
disciples  of  Christ,  during  his  ministry  on 
earth,  as  well  as  the  disciples  of  John,  were 
well  acquainted  with  the  institution  of  bap- 
tism, for  they  baptized  great  multitudes  ;  but 
they  administered  a  baptism  in  which  infants 
had  no  part.  When  therefore  our  Lord  in- 
stituted his  sacrament  of  baptism,  if  infants 
were  to  be  received  into  it,  it  cannot  be 
doubted  but  he  declared  this  ;  otherwise 
men,  who  had  been  used  to  exclude  infants, 
would  not  think  of  them  as  coming  within 
this  fresh  commission/ 

He  expressly  allows,  that  the  Apostles 
would  be  determined  very  much  by  former 
usages,  in  judging  whether  infants  came 
within  this,  commission.  Whether  the  dis- 
ciples of  John  and  of  Christ  had  been  wont 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  \05 

to  baptize  infcints,  it  is  not  expressly  said. 
And  therefore  to  judge  how  the  Apostles 
^vould  understand  their  comujission,  we 
must  go  farther  back  than  to  Jolin^s  minis- 
try. These  Apostles  were  t/(ttt?A\  They  had 
been  educated  in  the  Jewish  religion.  They 
knew,  that  from  the  days  of  Abraham^  and 
all  along  through  the  Mosaic  dispensation, 
infants  bad  been  taken  into  covenant  with 
their  parents  by  the  same  initiating  rite. — 
They  knew,  this  had  ever  been  esteemed  a 
great  privilege  ;  and  they  would  naturally 
suppose,  the  privilege  was  still  to  continue, 
as  the  Abrahamic  covenant  was  yet  in  force. 
They  knew  it  had  been  the  constant  imme- 
morial practice  of  the  Jewish  church,  to  re- 
ceive Gentile  proselytes  and  their  infant  chil- 
dren with  them  by  baptism.  This  the  an- 
cient Jewish  writers  testify.  Baptism,  we 
know,  was  no  new  thing  in  John's  time. 
The  Jews  appear  to  have  been  well  acquaint- 
ed with  it.  They  don^t  ask  him.  What 
meanest  thou  by  this  new  ceremony  }  But 
why  baptizest  thou^  if  thou  art  not  the  Christy 
nor  Elias^  nor  that  Prophet.^  Their  question 
implies,  that  the  Prophets  had  been  wont  to 


106  CHRISTIAN    BAPIISM. 

baptize,  and  they  expected  Christ  and  Elia$ 
would  do  the  same.  John  probably  took  up 
baptism,  as  he  found  it  practised  in  the  Jew- 
ish  church,  where  it  had  been  constantly 
administered  to  the  infants  of  Gentile  prose- 
lytes. And  it  is  not  only  without  proof, 
but  against  probability,  that  this  author  as- 
serts, '  Infants  had  no  part  in  JoAn's  baptism/ 
Farther,  these  Apostles  had  been  taught  to 
look  upon  infants  as  belotiging  to  Christ,  and 
to  treat  them  as  his  disciples.  They  had 
heard  Christ  pronounce  them  subjects  of 
bis  kingdom,  and  give  directions,  that  they 
should  be  brought  to  him.  They  had  been 
reprimanded  for  attempting  to  hinder  infants 
from  being  brought.  They  knew,  that  Christ 
came  not  to  lessen  the  privileges  of  the 
church,  (of  which  the  admission  of  infants 
was  one)  but  to  enlarge  them  ;  and  that  hap- 
iism  was  now  the  rite  of  admission  into  it. 
Under  these  circumstances,  how  must  they 
understand  their  commission  ?  Certainly, 
upon  this  author's  principles,  they  must 
suppose  it  to  include  infants;  for  he  allows, 
they  would  understand  it  according  to  for- 
mer usage.     We  may  then  retort  his  argu- 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  107 

ment.  When  Christ  instituted  his  sacra- 
ment of  baptism,  if  infants  were  not  to  be 
received  to  it,  it  cannot  be  doubted,  but  he 
sufficiently  declared  this  ;  otherwise  men, 
who  had  always  been  used  to  see  infants  ad- 
mitted into  the  church  of  God  by  the  same 
token  with  their  parents,  would  consider 
them  as  coming  within  this  fresh  commis- 
sion, 6ro,  disciple  all  nations,  baptizing  them. 

Besides,  When  they  saw  the  doors  of  the 
church  now  enlarged  to  admit  new  subjects, 
even  all  nations,  they  would  not  imagine, 
that  the  subjects,  who  had  ever  been  admit- 
ted, were  in  future  to  be  excluded.  The 
commission  therefore  must  be  understood  as 
a  virtual  command  to  baptize  infants. 

6,  Children's  right  to  baptism  is  very 
clearly  taught,  in  those  words  o^  Peter  to  the 
awakened  Jews^  Acts  ii.  38.  Repent  and  be 
baptized  every  one  of  you  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christy  for  the  remission  of  sins ,  and  ye  shall 
receive  the  g  ift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  for  the  pro^ 
mise  is  to  you  and  to  your  children.  He  does 
not  say,  The  promise  is  to  you,  and  icill  be 
to  your  children  when  they  become  believ- 
ers;  but  it  is  to  both^  to  you  and  the  chil- 


108       I  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

dren  which  you  now  have :  And  to  all  them 
that  are  ajar  off^  as  many  us  the  Lord  our 
God  shall  cail^  i.  e.  wherever  QA  seiKJs  the 
gospel  to  call  the  Gentiles^  it  carries  this 
promise,  which  is  in  like  manner  to  them 
and  their  children.  The  promise  being  made 
to  them^  is  urged  as  a  reason  why  they  should 
be  baptized.  And  the  same  reason  holds 
for  the  baptism  of  all  to  whom  the  promise 
belongs,  and  consequently  f(jr  the  baptism 
of  their  children^  for  the  promise  is  to  them. 
Be  baptized — -for  the  promise  is  to  you  and  to 
your  children.  The  reason  assigned  for  bap- 
tism is  such  as  equally  takes  place  with  re- 
spect to  both.  It  the  parents  interest  in  the 
promise  is  a  reason  why  he  should  be  bap- 
tized, his  children's  interest  in  it,  is  just  as 
good  a  reason,  why  they  should  be  baptized. 
To  suppose  this  promise  is  a  just  ground  for 
the  baptism  of  believers^  but  not  for  the  bap- 
tism oi  their  children,  is  to  make  the  apostle 
talk  thus  absurdly  and  incoherently.  The 
promise  is  to  you,  therefore  be  ye  baptized — 
and  the  same  promise  is  equally  to  your 
children,  yet  they  must  not  be  baptized. 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  109 

Weli,  but  our  brethren  say,  '  You  and 
your  children  is  nothing  more  than  you  and 
your  posterity/  or  your  children  when  they 
become  adult. 

But  a  little  attention  will  convince  us,  this 
cannot  be  the  meaning.  This  is  contrary  to 
the  natural  construction  of  the  words — The 
promise  is — to  your  children;  not  shall  he  to 
them,  when  they  become  believers.  The 
people,  to  whom  these  words  were  spoken, 
were  Jews  and  Proseli/tes,  who  had  always 
been  used  to  see  infants  comprehended  with 
their  parents  in  covenant  transactions,  and 
therefore  would  naturally  suppose,  their  in- 
fants to  be  intended.  To  suppose,  that  by 
your  children,  the  Apostle  meant  only  their 
adult  descendants,  is  to  make  him  speak 
nonsense;  for  then  he  must  be  understood 
thus,  '  The  promise  is  to  you  and  your  chil- 
dren, but  not  as  your  children,  or  as  being 
related  to  you,  any  more  than  if  they  were 
children  of  Pagans;  but  if  they  should  live 
to  adult  aije,  should  be  called  by  the  gospel, 
and  should  believe,  then  the  promise  will  be 
to  them,  as  it  is  now  to  you/ 


10 


110  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

Now  why  are  children  joined  with  their 
parents,  as  joint  partakers  of  the  same  pro- 
mise, if  they  derive  no  benefit  from  this  re- 
lation, but  are  to  stand  upon  precisely  the 
same  footing  with  the  children  of  heathens 
2ind  iri/ide Is /  Farther;  it  should  be  remem- 
bered, that  the  great  promise  of  the  Abra- 
hamic  covenant,  which  probably  is  here  re- 
ferred to,  and  called  by  way  of  eminence,' 
THE  PROMISE,  viz.    /  Will  be  a  God  to  you 
and  your  seed;  this  promise,  1  say,  did  cer- 
tainly belong  to  the  infant  children  of  Abra^ 
ham^  and  of  his  spiritual  seed  ;  and  the  seal 
of  this  promise  was  expressly  ordered  to  be 
applied  to  such.     But  our  brethren  general- 
ly say,  '  The  promise  here  intended  is  the 
promise  of  the  spirit,  contained  in  the  fore- 
going words,   Ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.^     Be  it  so.     If  then  it  appears 
that  the  promise  of  the  Spirit  is  in  fact  made, 
not  only  to  believers,  but  also  to  their  chil- 
dren, even  to  infants;   the  reason  will  hold, 
why  they  should  be  baptized.     It  is  express- 
ly promised,  Isaiah  xliv.  3.  I  ivill  pour  my 
Spirit  upon  thy  seed,  and  my  blessing  upon 
thine  offspring;  'i,e,thy  little  ones,  as  the  fol- 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  HI 

lowing  words  shew;  and  they  (tbiiie  off- 
spring) shall  SPRING  UP  as  among  the  grass 
and  as  willows  by  the  water  courses.  They 
shall  grow  up  under  the  influences  of  my 
Spirit  and  blessings  of  my  covenant,  as  grass 
under  the  kindly  smiles  of  heaven,  and  as 
willows  by  the  fertile  banks  of  rivers. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  with  any  one  who 
believes  the  scriptures,  but  the  divine  Spir- 
it often  has  great  influence  in  forming  the 
mind  into  a  preparation  for  virtue  and  use- 
fulness, even  in  its  infant  state.  John  was 
filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost  from  his  mother's 
womb.  Isaiah  was  called  and  formed  from 
the  womb.  Jeremiah  was  sanctified  from 
the  womb.  Samuel  grew  up  before  the 
Lord.  I  question  not  but  all,  who  are  born 
and  educated  under  the  gospel  covenant, 
have,  even  in  early  childhood,  some  gentle 
excitations  to  virtue  from  the  Spirit  of  grace, 
as  a  fruit  of  this  promise  to  believers  and 
their  children.  Now  since  the  promise  of 
the  Spirit  does  in  fact  belong  to  little  chil- 
dren, baptism,  the  sign  of  the  promise,  be- 
longs to  them  also.  Let  them  be  baptized — 
for  the  promise  is  to  them,     Note  here ;  their 


112  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

receiving  the  Spirit  was  not  ^condition,  hut 
a  consequence  of  their  baptism.  Be  baptized 
and  ye  ^hM  receive,  &c.  So  upon  the  Sa- 
mariians  mentioned,  Acts  viii.  the  Spirit  was 
poured  out  after  they  were  baptized  :  So  that 
children  are  to  be  baptized  upon  this  gener- 
al promise,  even  before  they  can,  by  a  holy 
life,  give  evidence  of  their  having  actually 
received  the  Spirit.  That  in  the  gospel  age, 
as  well  as  in  former  dispensations,  children 
should  be  received  into  covenant  together 
with,  and  upon  the  faith  of  their  parents,  is 
plainly  foretold,  Isaiah  Ixv.  22.  Thet/  are  the 
seed  of  the  blessed  of  the  Lord,  and  their  off^ 
spring  with  them.  And  chap.  xlix.  18,  22. 
They  (the  Gentiles)  shall  gather  themselves 
together^  arid  come  to  thee — And  they  shall 
bring  thy  sons  in  their  arms,  and  thy  daiigh' 
ters  shall  be  carried  on  their  shoulders. 

6.  The  accounts  we  have  of  some  whole 
iamiiies  being  baptized,  upon  the  faith  of 
^their  respective  heads,  afford  an  argument 
of  considerable  weight,  that  the  Apostles 
understood  their  commission  as  extending 
to  infants,  and  jpractised  accordingly. 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  113 

If  infants  were  baptized,  it  is  by  no  means 
probable,  we  should  be  informed  of  their 
names  or  ages ;  we  could  expect  only  to  be 
told  in  general,  ihat  such  [lersons  were  bap- 
tized and  their  families  :  And  so  much  we 
are  told.  Paul  baptized  the  household  of 
Stephanas^  1  Cor.  i.  1 6.  Lydia^  when  the 
Lord  opened  her  heart  to  receive  the  word, 
was  baptized  and  her  houselinld^  Acts  xvi.  15. 
The  Jayloi\  upon  his  believing,  was  baptiz- 
ed, he  and  all  his,  verse  33, 

This  Lydia  was  of  the  city  of  Thyatira ; 
but  she  now  dwelt  at  Philippi;  here  she  had 
a  house,  in  which  she  lodged  the  Apostles 
for  some  time,  and  she  had  a  household  with 
her.  Whether  they  were  children  or  ser* 
vants,  or  both,  and  what  their  exact  a^j^es 
were,  it  is  not  said,  nor  is  it  material.  The 
story  represents  them  as  baptized  upon  her 
faith;  and  this  is  all  that  is  to  the  pur})ose. 
It  will  be  suggested  perhaps,  that  they  miaht 
be  baptized  upon  their  own  faith.  But  the 
story  gives  no  intimation  of  any  one's  be- 
lievins:,  but  Lydia.  Take  the  account  as 
L*ike  has  left  it,  and  they  were  baptized  up- 
on her  being  judged  faithful  to  the  Lord. 
10* 


114  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM, 

The  story  of  the  Jaylor  is  to  the  same 
purpose.  He  inquired  of  the  apostles,  what 
must  1  do  to  be  saved  I  They  say,  Believe  on 
the  Lord  and  thou  shalt  he  saved  and  thine 
house.  In  the  same  sense,  salvation  is  said 
to  come  to  the  house  of  Zaccheus,  because 
he  was  a  son  of  Abraham,  i.  e.  a  believer. 
So  such  as  are  added  to  the  church  are  call- 
ed, The  saved.  There  were  doubtless  some 
present  on  this  occasion  besides  the  Jaylorh 
family;  and  some  of  his  family  might  be 
adults;  and  therefore  it  is  said,  They  spake 
the  icord  to  him,  and  to  all  that  were  in  his 
house.  It  is  added,  he  was  baptized,  he  and 
all  his  straitway.  It  is  not  said,  all  that  were 
in  his  house  were  baptized  ;  but  he  and  all 
his,  i.  e.  such  as  were  at  his  disposal — un- 
der his  government — subject  to  his  com- 
mand. These  were  properly  his.  No  men- 
tion is  yet  made  of  any  one^s  believing,  but 
the  Jaylor  himself.  But  do  not  the  next 
words,  He  rejoiced  believing  in  God  with  all 
his  house,  import,  that  ail  his  family  believ- 
ed as  well  as  he  ?  I  think  not.  The  Greek 
words  egalliasato  panoiki  pepisteukos  to  theo 
Bre  literally  rendered  thus.  He  rejoiced  in  ail 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  115 

his  house,  having  hdieved  God,  The  idea 
conveyed  is  tins  :  Arter  he  had  believed  God, 
he  rejoiced  and  gave  thanks  in  the  presence, 
and  in  behalf  of  his  whole  family. 

Now  as  it  had  been  the  ancient  universal 
practice,  to  receive  infants  with  their  parents 
into  the  church  of  God,  they  who  should 
read  these  accounts  of  households  baptized, 
would  naturally  conclude,  that  infants  (if 
tliere  were  such)  were  baptized  as  well  as 
others,  if  a  missionary  sent  from  this  coun- 
try, where  infant  baptism  is  generally  prac- 
tised, to  gospelize  the  heathen,  should  write 
back  an  account  of  his  success ;  and  therein 
should  say,  he  had  baptized  so  many  hun- 
dreds, and  amongst  the  rest, such  a  noted  per- 
son and  his  household — such  an  one  and  all 
his;  who  would  doubt,  but  there  weres«»me 
children,  under  the  age  of  discretion,  whooi 
he  meant  to  include?  But  if  an  antipcedo- 
baptist  missionary  should  publish  an  account 
of  the  households  he  had  baptized,  he  would 
naturally  except  infants,  to  prevent  mistakes. 

7.  The  right  of  intants  to  baptism,  is  far- 
ther confirmed  by  several  particular  passa«« 
ges  of  scripture. 


116  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

It  may  be  inferred  from  those  words  of  the 
Apostle,  Rom.  xi  16,  \7  ^  If  the  root  be  holy  ^ 
so  are  the  branches.  And  if  some  if  the 
branches  (ihf  Jev\>)  be  broken  off,  and  thou 
(a  Gent  ill)  being  a  wild  olive,  wtrt  grafted  in 
amoug'  them,  an  ft  with  them  partakest  of  the 
root  and  fatness  of  the  olive  tree,  boast  not,  6fc, 

The  olive  tree  is  the  church  of  God,  built 
on  the  covenant  made  with  Abraham,  Of 
this  tree  the  Jaws  were  the  natural ;  I  he  GeU' 
tiles,  the  ingrajted  branches.  The  root  and 
fatness  of  the  tree,  are  the  privileges  and 
blessings  of  the  covenant.  It  was  one  pri- 
vilege of  the  covenant,  that  children  should 
be  admitted  into  the  church  with  their  par- 
ents and  consecrated  to  GoJ  as  his  children. 
Therefore  if  the  Gentiles  are  grafted  into  the 
same  stock,  from  which  some  of  t'le  Jews  are 
broken  off,  and  loith  them  who  remain,  par- 
take of  the  root  and  fatness,  they  certainly 
partake  of  this  privilege  of  having  their  chil- 
dren grafted  with  them.  Accordingly  the 
Gentiles  are  declared  to  be  fellow  heirs  with 
the  Jews — to  be  of  the  same  body — to  be 
joint  partakers  of  the  promise.  God  prom- 
ised, that  he  would  be  a  God  to  Abraham 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  117 

and  his  seed.  And  is  he  a  God  of  the  Jews 
only  ?  And  not  of  the  Gentiles  ?  Doubtless 
of  the  Gentiles  also.  God  appointed  a  tok- 
en of  this  promise  to  be  apphed  to  Ahra^ 
hani^s  infants,  and  to  the  infants  of  his  seed  : 
And  if  we  stand  in  the  same  place  as  his 
natural  seed,  and  are  partakers  with  them 
of  the  same  privileges,  then  the  token  of  the 
promise  is  to  be  applied  to  our  infants. 

To  this  passage  we  may  add  that  remark- 
akle  one,  in  1  Cor.  vii.  14.  The  unbelieving 
husband  is  sanctijitd  hij  the  vcife^  and  the  un* 
believing  wife  is  sanctified  by  the  husband;  else 
were  your  children  unclean^  but  now  are  they 
holy.  It  is  plain  here,  that  the  children  of 
believers  are,  in  some  sense  or  other,  holy, 
or  saints,  by  virtue  of  their  parents  faith. 
They  are  distinguished  from  the  children  of 
unbelievers,  who  are  called  unclean,  in  the 
same  manner  as  christians  are  distinguished 
from  heathens.  Now  what  is  this  infant  ho- 
liness, which  results  from  the  parent's  faith  1 
'  It  cannot  be  legitimacy,  as  some  pretend  ; 
for  surely  the  Apostle  did  n(>t  mean  to  has-^ 
iardize  all  children  born  of  heathen  parents. 
It  cannot  be  real,  inherent  holiness  ;  for  in 


118  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

this  sense,  they  are  born,  not  of  blood,  nor  of 
the  will  of  man,  but  of  God.  it  can  then  be 
no  other,  than  relative  or  covenant  holiness. 
The  children  of  believers  are  holy,  as  all  the 
people  of  Israel  were  holy,  by  a  special  cov- 
enant relation  to  God.  The  christian  church ' 
is  called  a  holy  nation  and  peculiar  people, 
in  the  same  sense.  They  are  holy,  as  all 
the  first  born  under  the  law  are  holy,  by  a 
solemn  dedication  to  God  in  his  temple. 
In  allusion  to  the  dedication  of  the  first  born 
infants,  the  christian  church  is  called,  77ie 
church  of  first  born  persons.  They  are  holy, 
as  being  God's  children,  born  to  him  of  his 
own  covenant  people.  Now  if  they  are  in 
this  sense  holy,  by  what  rite  or  ceremony 
are  they  declared  so,  but  by  the  washing  of 
baptism  ]  The  church  is  cleansed  by  the  wash- 
ing of  water.  If  they  are  holy  as  being  God'^s 
children,  and  within  his  covenant,  they  are 
certainly  enliiled  to  the  mark  of  his  children 
and  the  token  of  his  covenant,  which  is  bap- 
tism. 

The  inanner  in  which  the  author  of  the 
letters  endeavours  to  evade  these  passages, 
shews  that  he  fell  hi iHself  embarrassed  with 


CHRISTIAN  BAPTISM.  119 

them.  I  am  '  very  willing,  says  he,  that 
children  should  be  as  holy  as  the  most  be- 
nevolent person  can  wish  them.  1  have  no 
inclination  to  lay  a  stain  upon  that  innocent 
age. — But  here  is  not  a  word  about  their 
baptism.^  The  gentleman  doubtless  knew 
how  we  argue  from  these  texts  to  prove  in- 
fant baptism.  Why  has  he  not  shewn,  that 
they  must,  or  may  be  taken  in  some  other 
sense  ?  Why  has  he  not  told  us,  how  the 
branches  are  holy  by  the  holiness  of  the 
root ;  how  children  are  holy  by  their  parents 
faith,  in  some  other  sense  than  as  being  en- 
titled to  the  privileges  and  seal  of  the  cove- 
nant \  How  the  Gentiles  can  be  partakers  of 
the  same  promise,  and  of  the  same  root  and 
fatness  with  Abraham's  natural  seed,  and 
yet  not  be  admitted  to  the  same  privileges? 
The  truth  is,  the  argument  from  these  texts 
is  unanswerable.* 

*  To  evade  the  ar&^iiinent  from  this  passage,  some  have  said 
*  The  same  holiness,  which  is  ascribed  to  the  children  of  the  be- 
liever is  also  ascribed  to  the  unbelieving  partner^  who  is  said  to  be 
sanctified^  as  well  as  the  offspring  said  to  be  holy.  Why  then  is 
not  the  unbelieving  husband,  or  wife,  a  member  of  the  church 
by  virtue  of  the  faith  of  the  correlate,  as  well  as  the  children,  by 
'Virtue  of  the  faith  of  the  parent  > 


120  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

Again.  The  Apostle,  in  the  4th  chap,  to 
Gal.  tells  us,  that  Isaac  was  born  after  the 
Spirit^  and  born  by  promise.  By  this  he  il- 
lustrates the  gospel  covenant ;  and  says,  As 

In  answer  to  this  I  would  observe :  Infants,  under  the  Old 
Testament,  had  ever  been  received  as  members  of  God's  church. 
But  when  the  Jews,  in  the  time  of  Ezra,  had,  contrary  to  an  ex- 
press law,  married  strange  wives,  by  whom  children  were  born 
to  them,  it  was  ordered  that  these  children,  with  their  heathen 
parents,  should  be  put  away,  as  unclean  j  and  the  men,  who  re- 
fused to  put  away  their  strange  wives,  were  themselves  to  be 
separated  from  the  congregation. 

In  the  Corinthian  church,  a  doubt  had  arisen  whether  a  be- 
liever might  continue  with  an  unbelieving  correlate.  This 
question  the  apostle  answers  in  the  affirmative.  For  though  he 
advises  christians  to  marry  only  in  the  Lord,  yet  a  marriage, 
contracted  when  both  the  parties  were  unbelievers,  is  not  dis- 
solved by  the  subsequent  faith  of  one  of  them.  But  it  might 
farther  be  inquired,  whether  children  born  of  parents,  of  whom 
one  was  a  heathen,  ought  not  to  be  exciujled  from  the  church 
with  the  unclean  or  heathen  parent,  as  had  been  determined  in 
the  time  of  Ezra?  To  this  the  apostle  answers  in  the  negative. 
If  a  brother  have  a  wife  who  believeth  not,  and  she  be  pleased  to  dwell 
tvith  hirriy  let  him  not  put  her  away,  and  so  of  the  wife  who  hath  an 
unbelieving  husband.  For  the  unbelieving  husband  isy  or  hath 
been,  sanctified  by  the  wife  ;  or  rather,  sanctified  i'n,  or  to  the  wife  \ 
and  the  unbelieving  wife  hath  been  sanctified  in,  or  to  the  hunband. 
The  unbelieving  is  sanctified  in  respect  of,  and  in  relation  to  the 
believing  party,  so  that  the  latter  has  a  lawful  use  and  enjoyment 
of  the  former ;  (for  as  the  apostle  says  else-i  here,  to  the  purCj  all 
things  are  pure  \  and  every  creature  of  God  is  good,  for  it  is  sanctified 
by  the  word  of  God  and  prayer. J— Else  were  your  children  unclean. 
If  the  unbelieving  partner  were  not  sanctified  to  the  use  of  the 


C^HRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  121 

Isaac  was,  so  are  we  the  children  of  the  proni" 
ise,  i.  e.  we  are  born  children  of  the  promise, 
as  being  born  of  covenanted  parents.  Ac- 
cordingly the  Apostle  to  the  Hebrews  speaks 

« 

believer,  both  the  parents  must  be  rejected  from  the  church,  the 
former  as  a  heathen  and  unclean,  the  latter  as  criminally  living 
in  cohabitation  with  a  heathen  ;  as,  in  the  time  of  Ezra,  those 
who  refused  to  put  away  the  strange  wives,  whom  they  had  un- 
lawfully taken,  were  to  be  separated  from  the  congregation. 
Consequently  the  children  would  be  unclean,  because  both  the 
parents  would  be  so.  But  since  the  unbeliever  is  sanctified  in 
relation  to  the  believer,  the  children  are  holt/y  and  so  to  be  ac- 
counted members  of  the  church. 

Tlie  unbeliever  is  here  said  to  be  sanctified,  not  in  relation  to 
God,  but  only  in  relation  to  his,  or  her  yokefellow.  But  the 
children  are  said  to  be  holi/y  in  opposition  to  the  unclean,  or  to 
heathens.  A  person's  being  sanctified  in  a  particular  respect,  or 
for  a  certain  purpose,  as  the  unbeliever  is  here  said  to  be  saucti- 
fied  only  in  relation  to  the  husband,  or  the  wife,  does  not  de- 
nominate him  a  holy  one,  which  is,  ia  scripture,  the  appropriate 
title  of  those  \»bo  belong  to  the  church  Therefore,  though  chil* 
dren  are  members  of  the  church,  as  descended  from,  and  under 
the  care  and  government  of  a  believing  parent,  yet  a  heathen  be- 
comes not  a  member  of  the  church  by  marriage  with  a  believer. 
The  words  of  the  Apostle  can  convey  no  such  idea.  For  he  calls 
<:hildren  holif  in  opposition  to  the  unclean',  but  he  expressly  de- 
fines and  limits  the  sense,  in  which  the  unbeliever  is  sanctified. 
It  is  merely  in  respect  of,  and  iu  relation  to  the  believing  cor- 
relate. 

The  sense  which  we  have  given  of  the  phrase,  sanctified  by,  or 
to  the  wife,  is  approved  by  critical  expositors,  particularly  by 
Whitby,  who  says,  it  is  the  sense  given  by  the  Greek  interpreters ', 
and  it  is  certainly  agreeable  to  the  phrase  in  the  original.    The 

u 

/ 


12S  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

of  the  privileges  of  the  covenant,  as  being 
the  birth  right  of  christians,  and  cautions 
them,  that  they  do  not  profanely  sell  Y/teeV 
birth  right,  as  Esau  did  his. 

And  it  is  wortby  to  be  noted,  that  the 
sanie  titles,  by  which  christians  are  distin- 
guished from  heathens^  are  expressly  applied 
to  the  children  of  converted  parents.  Are 
christians  called  saints?  So  are  their  chil- 
dren.* Are  they  called  disciples?  So  are 
their  children. f  Do  they  belong  to  God's 
kingdom?  So  do  their  children. J  Are  they 
called  believers?  So  christian  families,  which 
were  supported  by  a  common  stock,  in  which 
infants  were  included,  are  called  the  multi- 
tude  of  them  that  believe.^  And  Christ 
speaks  of  those  little  ones  which  believe  in 

jApostle  cannot  intend,  that  the  unbeliever  '\s  converted  to  the  faith 
by  the  believer;  for  this  sanctification  is  something  which  has 
already  taken  place,  while  the  subject  was  an  unbeliever.  The 
Conversion  of  the  unbeliever  b>  the  influence  of  the  believing 
correlate,  the  Apostle  afterward  mentions,  as  an  additional  rea- 
son for  cohabitation ;  but  he  speaks  of  it  as  a  change  which  hope- 
fully mayy  not  as  what  already  hasj  or  certainly  will  take  place. 
What  knowest  thoUy  O  wife,  whether  thou  shalt  save  thy  husband  1 
And  how  knowest  thou,  O  man,  whether  thou  shalt  save  thy  wife  ? 
*  1  Cor.  vii.  14.  t  Acts  XV.  lo.  J  Mark  x.  14. 

^  Acts  iv.  32. 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  123 

/«'m.*  Are  christians  called  the  children  of 
God!  So  are  the  infants  of  professors,  j*  They 
that  belong  to  the  church  are  called  tlie  sav^ 
ed;  so  salvation  comes  to  the  house  of  the 
believer.J  Who,  that  considers  how  these 
titles  are  promiscuously  given  to  adult  chris- 
tians and  their  children,  can  doubt,  but  that 
children  are  brought  into  covenant  with 
their  parents  in  the  gospel  time,  as  they 
used  to  be  before,  and  consequently  are  sub- 
jects of  baptism,  the  only  initiating  seal  ? 

8.  I  shall  add  to  the  preceding  arguments 
one  more,  taken  from  1  Cor.  x.  2.  The 
Apostle  here,  speaking  of  the  t7ei£J5  who  came 
out  of  Egypt^  says.  They  icere  all  baptized 
unto  Moses  in  the  cloud  and  in  the  sea. 

That  this  passage  alludes  to  christian  bap- 
tism, our  brethren,  particularly  the  author 
of  the  letters,  allow.  The  Apostle  plainly 
considers  their  baptism  into  Moses  2is  typical 
of  our  baptism  into  Christ;  for  he  adds.  They 
did  all  drink  of  the  same  spiritual  drink ;  for 
they  drank  of  the  rock^  which  followed  them^ 
and,  that  rock  is  Christ  or  a  type  of  Christ. — 
All  these  things  happened  to  them  for  exam,' 

*  Mat.  xviii.  6.  f  £zek.  xvi.  91.  \  Luke  xix.  9. 


194  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

ples^  or  types,  and  are  written  for  our  admo* 
nition.  The  Jewish  writers  say,  '  The  peo- 
ple were  baptized  in  the  desart  and  admitted 
into  covenant  with  God  before  the  law  was 
given/  Now  if  the  Apostle  has  any  respect 
to  christian  baptism,  as  it  is  plain  he  has, 
here  is  an  undeniable  proof  of  the  right  of 
infants  to  baptism.  For  he  says.  They  all, 
the  ichole  congregation,  of  which  in/ants  then 
m  their  parents  arms,  were  a  great  part,  they 
all  were  baptized  into  Moses,  All  were  under 
the  cloud.  All  passed  through  the  sea,  &c. 
He  repeats  the  universal  term  all  because  it 
is  emphatical  here.  Now  if  this  baptism 
Into  Moses,  was  a  type  and  written  for  our 
admonition,  it  typically  admonishes  us,  that 
■we  all  should  be  baptized  into  Christ,  not 
believers  only,  but  their  children  also. 

As  the  whole  congregation  were  baptized 
and  admitted  into  covenant  at  the  sea,  when 
Moses  took  the  command  of  them,  so  this 
covenant  was  again  renewed  with  all,  both 
men,  women  and  little  ones,  ]u^i  before  he 
left  them.  Deut.  xxix.  10.  Ye  stand,  all 
of  you  before  the  Lord  your  God,  your  elders, 
yaur  little  ones,  your  wives,  that  thoushould' 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  125 

est  enter  into  covenant  with  the  Lord,  that  he 
may  establish  thee  for  a  people  unto  himself^ 
and  may  be  unto  thee  a  God,  as  he  hath  sworn 
to  thy  Father,  to  Abraham,  &c.  This  cove- 
nant witli  Abraham,  which  is  so  exjDressly 
renewed  wiih  little  ones,  is  descended  to  us 
and  our  children. 

1  shall  now  briefly  recapitulate  the  argu- 
ments that  have  been  offered,  and  present 
them  in  one  view. 

The   covenant,    which    God    made   witli 
Abraham  and   his  seed,  expressly  included 
infants ;  and  the  seal  thereof  was,  by  God^s 
command,  applied  to  them.     We,  believing 
Gentiles,  are  the  seed  for  whom  the  cove- 
nant with  Abraham  was  made  ;  and  there- 
fore our  infants  as   well  as  his,  are  entitled 
to  the  privileges  of  the  covenant,  and  sub- 
jects of  the  seal  of  it,  by  virtue  of  the  ori- 
ginal grant  to  Abraham,  in  as  much  as  that 
grant  has  never  been  recalled.     This  cove- 
nant was  renewed  at  the  red  sea — and  again 
in  the  plains  of  Moab,  and  still  infants  are 
expressly   includtd  — All  along  under   the 
Old  Testament,  children  are  comprehended 
wiih  parents  in  ail  covenant  transactions  be- 
11  * 


1^6  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

tween  God  and  his  people,  and  the  token 
of  the  covenant  is  still  applied  to  them.  The 
Prophets  often  foretell,  that  the  case  would 
be  the  same  in  the  gospel  time ;  that  Christ 
should  gather  the  lambs  with  his  arms — that 
God  would  pour  his  Spirit  upon  the  offspring 
of  his  people,  who  should  be  the  seed  of  the 
blessed  of  the  Lord,  and  their  offspring  tvith 
them.  In  the  Jewish  church,  it  was  a  cus- 
tom, long  before  our  Saviour's  appearance, 
to  receive  Gentile  proselytes  with  their  chil- 
dren, by  baptism  as  well  as  circumcision. 
Christ  also  himself  took  infants  into  his  arms 
and  blessed  them,  and  directed  that  they 
should  be  brought  to  him,  because  of  such 
was  his  kingdom,  that  kingdom,  into  which 
persons  were  to  be  admitted  by  being  born 
of  water.  He  ordered  his  Apostles  to  re- 
ceive them  in  his  name,  and  treat  them  as 
his  disciples.  When  he  gave  the  baptismal 
commission,  he  expressed  it  in  such  univer- 
sal terms,  as  must  naturally  include  infants  f 
And  the  Apostles,  knowing  what  had  been 
the  constant  usage  concerning  infants,  and 
how  Christ  had  ever  treated  them,  must  un- 
derstand the  commission  as  extending  to 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  1§7 

such.     Accord ino'ly,  soon  after,  when  they 
invited  the  convicted  Jeivs  to  baptism,  they 
placed  their  right  to  it  upon  the  foot  of  a 
promise,  which  equally  belonged  to  them 
and  their  children.     When  they  baptized  the 
head  of  any  family  in  his  own   house,  they 
baptized  liis  family  with  him.     They  con- 
stantly taught,  that  the  covenant  with  Abra^ 
ham,  of  which  circumcision  was  the  seal,  is 
the  same  which  we  are  now  under,  and  that 
the  blessings  of  it  are  come  upon  us  GeU' 
tiles — that  the  Gentiles  are  grafted  into  the 
same  stock,  from  which  the  Jews  were  brok- 
en off — that  children  are  holy  by  virtue  of 
their  parents  faith — that  baptism  is  the  chris- 
tian circumcision,  and  therefore  they  who 
are  baptized  into  Christ,  are  freed  from  the 
literal  circumcision,  and  all  other  ancient 
rites — that  circumcision,  as  a  seal  of  the 
Abrahamic  covenant,  was  a  great  privilege ; 
but  the  gospel  dispensation  confers  greater.— 
They  illustrate  the  gospel  covenant  by  an- 
cient examples  of  covenant  transactions,  in 
which  infants  were  included  ;  by  the  case  of 
haac,  who  was  born  after  the  promise,  by 
Noah's  ark,  in  which  his  whole  family  were 


128  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

saved  in  consequence  of  his  faith,  the  like 
figure  wheieuntt*  even  baptism  now  saves 
us ;  and  hy  the  baptism  of  the  whole  congre- 
gation, inJanis  and  ail,  at  the  red  sea,  which 
was  a  lype,  and  written  for  our  admonition. 
When  we  consider  these  things,  we  think 
the  evidence  abundantly  clear,  that  the  in- 
fants of  believers  are  eptitied  to  baptism. 


DISCOURSE    IV. 

HAVING  laid  before  you  the  arguments 
by  which  the  right  of  infants  to  baptism  is 
vindicated,  1  shall  now  as  I  proposed, 

111.  Shew  you  the  rational  ends  and  mo- 
ral uses  of  infant  baptism. 

If  baptism  be  a  divine  institution  for  the 
infants  of  believers,  it  ought  to  be  applied  to 
them,  whether  we  can  see  the  uses  of  it  or 
not  :  But  still  it  may  give  us  some  satisfac- 
tion to  understand  what  good  ends  it  can 
answer. 

We  are  often  asked,  *  What  good  can  bap- 
tism do  to  infanls!^  It  might  suffice  to  re- 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  129 

ply,  As  much  good  as  circumcision  could 
do  to  them  formerly  ;  or  as  much  as  the  pub- 
lic presentation  of  first  born  infants  to  God 
could  do  tkem.  The  apostle  says,  The  pro- 
fit of  circumcision^  (which  was  usually  ad- 
ministered lo  infants)  was  much  every  way. 
The  profit  oi^ infant  baptism  may  be  as  much. 
Particularly, 

1.  It  is  evident,  that  God  treats  nifants 
as  sinners  for  ^c?am's  transgression.  In  con- 
sequence of  his  apostacy,  thei/  suffer  a  sad 
variety  of  pains  and  diseases,  which  often 
issue  in  early  death.  And  from  that  bias 
and  inclination  to  evil,  which  they  soon  dis- 
cover, there  is  reason  to  suppose,  they  are 
infected  with  some  moral  disorder,  which 
needs  to  be  removed  in  order  to  their  en- 
trance into  the  world  of  glory.  By  one  mariy 
says  the  Apostle,  sin  entered  into  the  world y 
and  death  by  sin,  and  so  death  passes  upon  all 
men,  for  that  all  have- sinned. — By  one  man'^s 
offence,  judgment  came  upon  all  to  condemn 
nation, — In  Adam  all  die, — By  his  offence 
many  are  made  sinners.  In  this  language, 
he  speaks  in  the  5th  chap,  to  the  Romans. 


130  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM, 

Now  the  gospel  assures  us,  that  Christ 
has  obtained  redemption  from  the  condem- 
nation of  sin,  and  that  in  this  redemption,  all 
who  believe,  are  unfailingly  interested.  But 
we  see,  that  a  very  great  part  of  the  human 
race  are  cut  off  in  infancy,  while  they  are 
incapable  of  actual  faith.  VFhat  becomes  of 
them!  Is  any  provision  made  for  their  salva- 
tion ?  Or  mw^i  they  perish  and  be  lost  for- 
ever? This  is  a  natural  inquiry.  Now  to 
comfort  our  minds  concerning  smcA,  God  has 
seen  fit  to  assure  us,  that  they  may  become 
partakers  of  redemption  by  Christ,  and  be 
made  heirs  of  the  kingdom  above,  notwith- 
gtaPjdiug  their  incapacity  for  an  actual  com- 
pliance with  those  terms  which  are  propos- 
ed to  the  adult.  And  to  confirm  our  faith 
and  hope  in  his  promise,  he  has  appointed, 
that  they  shall  be  received  with  their  be- 
lieving parents  into  his  visible  kingdom,  the 
church,  and  have  the  seal  of  his  covenant 
affixed  to  them. 

The  great  promise  of  the  covenant  is,  that 
G;)d  will  be  a  God  to  believers  and  their 
seed.  This  promise  is  often  explained  in 
scripture  to  import  the  happiness  of  the  life 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  131 

to  come.  And  God's  appointing  the  seal  of 
this  pronoise  to  be  applied  to  our  infant  seed, 
is  a  most  comfortable  ground  of  our  faith 
and  hope,  that  if  they  should  be  removed  by 
an  early  death,  they  will  be  transplanted  in- 
to that  happy  clime,  where  they  will  spring 
up  in  everlasting  life.* 

*  The  children  of  believing  parents  may  be  said  to  be  hoT7i  in 
covenant^  as  they  are  born  under  that  promise  of  the  covenant,  / 
icill  he  a  God  to  thee  and  to  thy  seed.  Accordingly  God  calls  them 
HIS  children,  born  to  him.  To  those  who  die  in  infancy,  this 
promise  may  be  understood  as  importing  a  resurrection  to  eter- 
nal life.  As  the  Apostle  argues  concerning  the  patriarchs, 
(Heb.  xi.)  so  we  may  reason  concerning  these;  since  they  enjoy 
no  distinguishing  favour  iu  this  world,  there  must  be  some  good 
reserved  for  them  in  another;  else  the  promise  fails.  Therefore 
God  is  not  ashamed  to  be  called  their  God,  for  he  hath  prepared  for 
them  a  city.  To  those  who  arrive  to  moral  agency,  the  promise 
may  import,  not  only  the  enjoyment  of  the  external  means  of 
religion,  but  the  attendant  influences  of  the  divine  spirit.  The 
Apostle  tells  us,  that  among  the  rainy  advantages  of  circumci- 
sion, this  is  one  of  the  chief,  that  to  them  are  committed  the  oracles 
of  God.  (Rom  iii.  l)  And  God  expressly  promises  to  Jacob  his 
servant,  and  to  Israel  whom  he  has  chosen,  /  loill  pour  my  spirit 
on  thy  seedy  and  my  bles.iing  ott  4hine  q^^pringy  and  they  shall  spring 
up  as  among  the  grass^  and  as  willows  by  the  watercourses.  (Isai  xliv. 
3.)  Their  interest  in  this  promise,  as  the  children  of  God's  ser- 
Tants,  is  one  ground  of  their  admission  to  baptism,  the  token  of 
God's  faithfulness,  and  of  their  obligation  to  serve  him.  But 
then  it  is  by  baptism,  that  they  are  declared  to  be  within  the 
church,  and  entitled  to  the  visible  privileges  of  it.  Persons  may 
be  virtually  in  covenant  by  their  own^  or  their  parents  faith  3  but 


13g  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

God  is  said  to  have  established  his  cove- 
nant with  the  cattle  and  the  fowls,  when  he 
engaged  no  more  to  drown  the  earth  with  a 
flood  ;  and  as  a  token  of  this  covenant,  he 
appointed  his  bow  in  the  cloud.  And  sure- 
ly he  may,  in  as  just  and  rational  a  sense, 
establish  the  covenant  of  grace  with  infants, 
engaging  to  pour  his  spirit  and  blessing  upon 
them,  and  appointing  the  seal  of  this  cove- 
nant to  be  affixed  to  them,  in  token  of  his 
faithfulness  to  fulfil  his  gracious  promise. 

2.  The  parent,  by  dedicating  his  children 
to  God  in  baptism,  solemnly  binds  himself 
to  give  them  a  religious  and  christian  edu- 
cation, and  to  use  his  influence,  that  they 
shall  keep  the  way  of  the  Lord,  and  not  put 
themselves  out  of  that  covenant,  into  which 

they  are  not  visibly  and professedli/  in  covenant,  or  in  the  church, 
till  they  have  passed  under  the  appointed  ceremony.  When  we 
speak  of  persons  being  admitted  into  the  church  by  baptism,  wc 
mean  not,  that  this  conveys  the  right  of  admission  ;  for  it  pre- 
sctpposes  the  rights  and  the  qualification  or  relation,  in  which  the 
right,  by  divine  institution,  is  founded  ;  but  that  it  declares  the 
right,  and  thus  introduces  to  visible  privileges.  God  says,  *  The 
uncircumcised  man  child  shall  be  cut  off  from  among  his  people, 
he  hath  broken  my  covenant.'  He  was  previously  in  covenant, 
else  he  could  not  be  said  to  break  it  by  his  uncircumcision.  So 
also  the  unbaptized  person  is  to  be  cut  off)  or  excluded  from  the 
jirivileges  of  the  christian  church. 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  133 

they  have  been  thus  visibly  introduced. 
Now  if  it  is  any  privilege  for  children  to  have 
a  religious  education,  it  is  a  privilege  that 
such  an  education  should  be  secured  to  them ; 
and  consequently  a  privilege  that  the  parent, 
by  this  public  transaction,  should  covenant 
and  engage  to  bring  them  up  in  the  nurture 
and  admonition  of  the  Lord, 

It  may  be  asked  perhaps.  How  a  parent 
can  covenant  for  his  children  ?  But  the  an- 
swer is  obvious.  He  can  covenant  for  him.' 
self  to  discharge  such  and  such  duties  to 
them,  and  can  commend  them  to  God,  in 
hope  of  the  divine  blessing  upon  his  pious 
endeavours.  In  this  sense  may  every  reli- 
gious parent,  as  Joshua  did,  covenant  for  his 
house,  As  for  me  and  my  house  we  icill  serve 
the  Lord, 

3.  As  the  parent,  who  dedicates  his  chil- 
dren, should  consider  himself  bound  by  his 
own  act  to  educate  them  religiously;  so  chil- 
dren thus  dedicated,  when  they  come  to  the 
age  of  reflection,  should  realize,  that,  having 
been  given  to  God,  they  are  not  their  own^ 
but  his;  and  are  bound  to  live,  not  to  Mem- 
selves^  but  to  him  whose  they  are ;  and  that 
12 


134f  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

a  wicked,  irreligious  life  is  a  practical  renun- 
ciation  of  their  baptism,  and  disavowal  of 
their  relation  to  the  God  of  their  Fathers. 

If  the  Jewish  parent,  by  circumcising  his 
children,  bound  them  to  own  and  serve  the 
God  o^ Israel — If  the  vow  of  Samson'' s  par- 
ents bound  him  to  be  a  Nazarite  forever — If 
Hannah^ s  vow  bound  Samuel  to  attend  up- 
on God  in  the  sanctuary;  as  well  may  the 
act  of  the  christian  parent,  in  bringing  his 
children  to  baptism  bind  them  to  serve  the 
God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
The  religious  parent  may  urge  his  children 
to  a  godly  life  by  this  argument,  that  he  has 
given  them  to  God.  Thus  the  mother  of 
kingZemw6'/^expostulates  with  him.*  What 
tny  son  /  And  what  the  son  of  my  womb  ?  And 
ivhat  the  son  of  mt/  vows?  And  this  argu- 
ment will  have  weight  with  children  of  an 
ingenuous  temper.  Thus  the  Psalmist  rea- 
sons with  himself.*!*  J  icill  walk  brfore  the 
Lord,  I  will  call  on  his  name.  I  will  pay 
my  vows  in  the  presence  of  his  people.  O  Lord, 
truly  I  am  thy  servant,  1  am  thy  servant,  the 
son  of  thy  handmaid, 1  pass  on, 

*  Prov.  xxxi.  2.  t  P»al.  xi.  6, 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  136 

IV.  To  consider  the  practice  of  the  chris- 
tian church  with  respect  to  infants  immedi- 
ately after  the  Apostolic  age. 

The  author  of  the  letters  says,  '  It  is  of 
small  importance  to  christians  to  know  what 
the  many  writers  upon  this  subject,  since 
the  time  of  the  Evangelists  and  Apostles, 
have  affirmed/  But  vet  to  know  what  thev" 
have  affirmed  concerning  the  mode  of  bap- 
tism, he  thinks  to  be  of  no  small  importance. 

He  asserts,  upon  their  authority,  that  the 
church  for  1300  years  practised  immersion; 
^  though  indeed  he  allows,  that  sprinkling  was 
practised  too  in  extraordinary  cases.  Up- 
on the  same  authority  it  may  be  asserted, 
that  the  church,  for  many  hundreds  of  years, 
practised  infant  baptism;  and  not  a  single 
person,  much  less  a  church,  can  be  produc- 
ed which  denied  the  lawfulness  of  it.  And 
the  practice  of  the  church  is  as  good  an  evi- 
dence in  favour  oiinfant  baptism,  as  it  would 
have  been  in  favour  of  immersion,  in  case 
that  alone  had  been  practised. — This  gentle- 
man himself  (perhaps  inadvertently)  allows 
the  early,  constant,  universal  practice  of  ad- 
mitting infants  to  baptism.     For  he  adopts 


136  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

this  passage  from  Dr.  Wall,  '  All  christians 
in  the  world,  who  never  owned  the  Pope^s 
authority,  do  now,  and  ever  did,  dip  their 
mfants  in  the  ordinary  use/  (Not  univer- 
sally, but  ordinarily  dipt  them.)  If  they  dipt 
infants,  they  baptized  them.  This  practice 
is  of  much  more  weight  to  prove  infants  are 
the  subjects^  than  to  prove  dipping  is  the 
mode  of  baptism;  because  dipping  was  but 
the  ordinary  use,  whereas  infant  baptism,  for 
aught  that  appears,  was  the  universal  prac- 
'tice  of  the  ancient  church,  except  in  cases 
of  proselytism. 

We  do  not  pretend  to  rest  the  proof  of  in- 
fants right  to  baptism,  upon  the  practice  of 
the  church,  but  upon  the  authority  of  scrip- 
ture. However,  if  it  appears  that  the  church, 
so6n  after  the  apostles,  did  admit  them,  and 
there  is  no  account  of  any  church  that  re- 
jected them,  or  any  person  who  denied  the 
lawfulness  of  the  practice,  or  pretended,  that 
it  was  an  innovation,  this  will  be  an  argu- 
ment of  considerable  weight,  that  it  was  de- 
rived from  the  apostles :  For  the  early  chris- 
tians, they  who  lived  in  the  ages  next  after 
the  apostles,  must  have  known,  what  their 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  137 

practice  was  in  such  a  matter  as  this,  which 
was  of  a  most  public  nature,  and  concerned 
the  very  being  of  the  church.  What  the 
usage  of  the  church  was,  in  the  earliest  times 
after  the  Apostles,  we  can  learn  only  from 
the  ancient  writers,  who  are  here  produced, 
not  as  examples^  but  only  as  historians^  or 
witnesses  to  a  plain  matter  of  fact. 

Justin  Martyr^  who  wrote  about  40  years 
after  the  apostolic  age,  says,  '  We  have  not 
received  the  carnal,  but  the  spiritual  circum- 
cision by  baptism — and  it  is  enjr)ined  to  all 
persons  to  receive  it  in  the  same  way.'  Here 
he  plainly  con>>iders  baptism  as  succeeding 
in  the  place  of  circumcision,  and  conse- 
quently as  being  designed,  for  infants  as  that 
was;  which  opinion  he  could  not  easily 
have  fallen  into,  if  the  Apostles  had  univer- 
sally, both  in  doctrine  and  practice,  rejected 
infants.  In  one  of  his  apologies  for  the 
christians,  he  says,  '  Several  persons  among 
u*^,  of  60  and  70  years  old,  who  were  made 
disciples  to  Christ  from  their  childhood^  do 
continue  uncorrupt.'  Made  disciples.  He 
uses  the  same  word  which  is  used  in  the 
commission  ;  Disciple  all  nations^  baptizing 
12* 


138  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

them.      If  they   were  made  disciples^  they 
were  doubtless  baptized. 

Irenceus,  who  wrote  about  67  years  after 
the  Apostles,  and  was  born  it  is  said,  before 
the  death  of  St.  John,  and  was  acquainted 
with  Polycarp,  who  was  Jo/m's  disciple,  says 
concerning  Christ,  '  He  came  to  save  all 
persons  by  himself,  who  by  him  are  regene- 
rated  (i.  e.  baptized)  unto  God,  infants,  lit- 
tle ones,  youths  and  elderly  persons.*  That 
IrerKBus  used  the  word  regenerated  to  signify 
baptized,  is  plain  from  hjs  own  words,  where 
he  says,  '  When  Christ  gave  his  disciples 
the  command  of  regenerating  unto  God,  he 
said.  Go  and  teach  ail  nations,  baptizing 
them,  &c.* 

Tertuliian,  who  flourished  about  100  years 
after  the  Apostles,  gives  a  plain  testimony, 
that  the  church  admitted  infants  to  baptism 
in  his  time.  It  is  true  he  advises  to  delai/i 
their  baptism  ;  not  because  it  was  unlawful, 
for  he  allows  of  it  in  cases  of  necessity  ;  not 
merely  upon  the  foot  of  their  infancy,  for  he 
advises  also,  that  unmarried  persons  be  kept 
from  this  ordinance,  until  they  either  marry 
or  are  confirmed  iu  continence ;  but  because 


CHRISTIAN  BAPTISM.  13? 

the  Sponsors  were  often  brought  into  a  snare  ; 
and  because,  he  ima^int:^d,  sins  committed 
after  baptism  were   next  to   unpardonable^ 
But  his  advising  to  delay  it,  supposes  it  to 
have  been  the  practice ;  for  otherwise  there 
would  have  been   no  room  for  the  advice. 
He  does  not  speak  of  it  as  an  innovation^ 
which  certainly  he  would  have  done,  had  it 
begun  to  be  practised   in    his   time.      His 
words  rather  imply  the  contrary.    His  speak- 
ing of  Sponsors,  who  engaged  for  the  educa- 
tion of  the  infants  that  were  baptized,  shews 
that  there  had  been  such  a  custom.     And 
his  asking,  why  that  innocent  age  made  such 
haste  to  baptism,  supposes  that  infants  had 
usually  been  baptized  soon  after  their  birth. 
So  that  he  fully  enough  witnesses  to  the 
fact,  that  it  had  been  the  practice  of  the 
church  to  baptize  infants.     And  his  advice, 
to  delay  their  baptism  till  they  were  grown 
up  and  married,  was  one  of  those  odd  and 
singular  notions,  for  which  this  Father  was 
very  remarkable. 

Origen,  who  was  contemporary  with  7Vr- 
tullian,  expressly  declares  infant  baptism  to 
have  been  the  constant  usage  of  the  church 


140  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

from  the  Apostles.  He  says,  '  The  bap- 
tism of  the  church  is  given  tor  the  forju^ive- 
ness  of  sins:  But  why  are  infants,  by  the 
usage  of  the  church,  baptized,  it  there  is  no- 
thing in  ih^'in  tnat  needs  forgiveness?' 

Further  he  says,  '  Infants  are  baptized  for 
the  remission  of  sins;  for  none  is  Iree  from 
pollution,  though  his  lite  be  but  the  length 
of  one  day  upon  t-arih.  And  it  is  for  that 
reason,  because  by  baptism  the  pollutirm  of 
our  birlh  is  taken  away,  that  infants  are  bap- 
tized.' 

Again  he  observes,  '  The  church  had  from 
the  Apostles  an  order  to  give  baptism  to  in- 
fants ;  for  they,  to  whom  the  divine  myste- 
ries were  committed,  knew  that  there  was 
in  all  persons  the  natural  pollution  of  sin, 
which  must  be  done  away  by  water  and  the 
Spirit/ 

Now  as  Origen,  in  these  passages,  argues 
from  infant  baptism  to  prove  original  sin, 
we  may  conclude,  it  was  an  uncontroverted 
usage  of  the  church  ;  for  otherwise  he  could 
not,  with  propriety,  have  used  it  as  an  ar- 
gument to  establish  another  point. 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  141 

^  Cyprian^  who  wrote  about  150  years  after 
the  Apostles,  gives  a  fuller  testimony  to  this 
fact.  In  this  time  a  question  was  started 
by  one  Fidus^  (not  whether  infants  might 
be  baptized,  but)  whether  baptism  ought 
not  to  be  given  them  on  the  eighth  day,  ac- 
cording to  the  law  of  circumcision  ?  This 
question  was  proposed  to  a  council  of  66 
Bishops  convened  at  Carthage,  who  unani- 
mously resolved,  that  the  baptism  of  infants 
ought  not  to  be  deferred  to  the  eighth  day, 
but  might  be  given  them  at  any  time  before. 
And  a  large  letter  to  this  purpose,  contain- 
ing the  reasons  of  the  resolve,  was  written 
and  signed  by  Cyprian,  in  the  name  of  the 
council. 

Now  in  this  assembly  of  Ministers,  doubt- 
less there  were  some  60  or  70  years  old,  who 
could  remember  within  less  than  100  years 
of  the  Apostles.  And  therefore,  if  infant 
baptism  had  been  a  usage  lately  introduced, 
some  or  all  of  them  must  have  known  it. — 
And  if  so,  it  is  very  strange  that  not  one  of 
them  intimated  any  scruple  about  it.  Whe- 
ther infants  should  be  baptized,  seems  not 
to  have  been  at  all  a  question,  but  only 


142  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

whether  their  baptism  needed  to  be  deferred  .^ 
to  the  8ih  day,  which,  without  hesitancy, 
was  determined  in  the  negative: 

A  little  more  than  100  years  after  this 
time,  Greg  or  ij  Nazianztn  taught,  '  that  in- 
fants should  be  baptized  to  consecrate  them 
to  Christ  in  their  infancy/  Ambrose,  '  that 
the  baptism  of  infants  had  been  the  practice 
of  the  Apostles  and  of  the  church  till  that 
time/  Cri/sostom,  '  that  baptism  had  no  de- 
terminate time,  as  circumcision  had,  but 
one  in  the  beginning  of  life,  or  one  in  the 
middle  of  it,  or  one  in  old  age  might  receive 
it/ 

But  not  to  multiply  citations  ;  I  shall  add 
but  one  more,  Austin,  about  300  years  after 
the  Apostles,  had  a  controversy  with  Fela- 
gius  about  original  sin  ;  and  to  prove  it,  he 
frequently  urges  infant  baptism,  demanding, 
Why  infants  are  baptized  for  the  remission 
of  sins,  if  they  have  none  ?  Pelagius  though 
greatly  puzzled  with  the  argument,  yet  ne- 
ver pretends,  that  infant  baptism  was  an 
unscriptural  innovation^  or  a  partial  usage  in 
the  church  ;  which,  had  it  been  true,  a  man 
of  his  very  extensive  acquaintance  with  the 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  143 

world,  must  have  known  ;  and  had  he  knr)\vn 
it,  he  doubtless  would  have  said  it  wiien  he 
found  himself  embarrassed  with  the  argu- 
ment. But  far  from  iniiaiating  any  such 
thing,  when  somecharged  upon  him  the  de- 
nial of  infant  baptism,  as  a  consequence  of 
his  opinion,  he  disavows  the  consequence, 
and  complains,  that  he  had  been  slanderously 
represented  as  denying  baptism  to  infants. 
He  asks,  '  Who  can  be  so  impious  as  to  hin- 
der infants  from  being  baptized  and  born 
again  in  Chiist  ?'  And  citing  those  words, 
Except  one  be  born  of  water  find  the  spirit,  he 
cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God,  he  says, 
'  V\^ho  can  be  so  imj)ious  as  to  refuse  to  an 
infant,  of  whatever  age,  the  common  re- 
demption o(  mankind]^  And  many  other 
expressions  he  uses,  which  plainly  suppose, 
that  infant  baptism  had  been  practised  uni- 
versally, and  time  out  of  mind. 

And  troai  this  time  till  the  year  1522,  (as 
Dr.  fVally  upon  a  most  careful  inquiry,  as- 
sures us)  there  is  not  so  much  as  a  man  to 
be  found,  who  has  spokea  against,  or  even 
pleaded  for  the  delay  of  the  baptism  of  in- 
fants, except  a  small  number  In  France,  in 


144  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

the  12th  century,  who  denied  the  possibih- 
ty  of  their  salvation,  and  consequently  their 
right  to  baptism.  But  this  sect  soon  disap- 
peared. 

Now  if  all  the  first  churches  were  every 
where  establish*-d  by  the  Apostles,  upon  the 
plan  only  of  adult  baptism,  and  children 
were  every  where  left  unbapiized,  how  could 
infant  baptism  begin  so  early,  and  spread  so 
extensively  as  it  seems  to  have  done  ?  How 
could  such  a  speedy  and  total  alteration  take 
place  in  a  matter  of  such  public  notice  and 
great  importance,  and  yet  no  noise  be  made 
about  it;  no  opposition  raised  against  il  ? 
Such  a  thing  would  be  absurd  to  imagine. 
The  early  and  universal  usage  of  the  church 
is  then  an  argument  of  very  considerable 
weight,  that  infant  baptism  was  an  apostolic 
practice. 

To  invalidate  this  argument  our  brethren 
allege,  that  many  corruptions  were  early  ad- 
mitted into  the  christian  church  under  pre- 
tence of  Apostolic  traditions,  and  prevailed 
without  opposition  ;  such  as  Infants  Com' 
manion,,  Exorcism^  Trine  Immersion,  Unc^ 
tion  after  baptism^  Sec,     But  supposing  these 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  145 

had  prevailed  as  early  and  universally,  as  we 
find  infant  baptism  to  have  done  (which  tru- 
ly was  not  the  case)  yet  there  is  this  mighty 
difference.  These  were  but  circumstantial 
errors,  which  did  not  destroy  the  being  of 
the  church,  or  nullify  men^s  Christianity, 
and  therefore  it  is  no  wonder,  that  we  have 
no  account  of  any  warm  controversy  about 
them.  But  infant  baptism^  in  the  opinion 
of  our  brethren,  does,  so  far  as  it  prevails, 
unchurch  the  church  of  Christ  :  For  they 
look  upon  those,  who  have  received  no  oth- 
er baptism,  as  being  unbaptized,  and  unfit 
for  christian  communion.  Now  if  the  first 
christians  had  viewed  it  in  this  light,  would 
they  have  sat  silent,  when  they  saw  it  get 
footing, and  prevail?  Would  not  some,  alarm- 
ed at  the  dangerous  innovation,  have  born 
their  testimony  against  it  ?  Would  there  not 
have  been  some  churches,  which  preserved 
the  primitive  usage,  and  renounced  com- 
munion with  such  as  had  so  essentially  de- 
parted trom  it  ?  The  different  sects  of  chris- 
tians were  often  inflamed  against  each  other 
by  smaller  diflPerences.  It  is  therefore  ut- 
terly unaccountable,  that  there  should  be  n6 
13 


146  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

dispute,  whea  this  supposed  fundamental 
innovation  was  introduced,  nor  the  least  re- 
mains of  any  controversy  about  it,  until 
within  these  two  or  three  centuries. 

There  were  indeed  some  great  corruptions 
introduced  into  the  church,  which  in  time 
considerably  prevailed,  such  as  Image  wor- 
ship, Transubstanliation,  &c.  But  these  ne- 
ver prevailed  so  universally,  so  early,  nor  so 
ivithout  oppositioji,  as  we  have  seen  infant 
baptism  must  have  done.  A  great  part  of 
the  christian  church  has  a/?tY?y5  rejected  them 
and  protested  against  them.  Many  Synods 
and  councils  have  publicly  condemned  them. 
And  in  the  times  when,  and  places  where 
they  most  prevailed,  it  was  by  the  protec- 
tion and  support  of  civil  and  military  pow- 
er; which  cannot  be  pretended  in  the  case 
of  infant  baptism. 

It  is  time  that  we  draw  to  a  conclusion. 
I  have  only  to  lay  before  you  a  ^e\\  deduc- 
tions from  what  has  been  offered. 

It  has,  I  think,  been  proved,  that  our  bap- 
tism is  one  with  that  of  our  brethren,  and 
that  we  have  neither  changed  the  baptisfn 
instituted  by  Christ  into  another  rite,  nor 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  147 

introduced  a  new  set  o^  subjects.    And  there- 
fore, 

1.  I  beg  leave  seriously  to  inquire.  Whe- 
ther our  brethren  have  any  just  occasion  to 
withdraw  themselves  from  our  communion  ? 
Surely  the  candid  among  them  will  acknow- 
ledge,  that   our  opinion    is   n  )t  so  wholly 
without  foundation,  but  that  it  may  consist 
with  an  honest  and  good  heart.     And  can  it 
be  for  the  interest  of  Christianity,  which  we 
on  both  sides  profess  to  regard,  that  we  should 
renounce  fellowship  with  each  other  on  ac- 
count of  this  difference!   We   are   willing 
they  should  commune  with  us,  and  yet  en- 
joy the  liberty  of  acting  agreeably  to  their 
own    principles.      Though    we    wish    they 
might  think  with  us,  yet  we  would  by  no 
means  constrain  them  to  bring  their  infants 
to  baptism  contrary  to   their  consciences. 
And,    I    apprehend,    few    ministers    would 
scruple  to  administer  baptism  by  immersion 
to  any  suitably  qualified,  who  choose  so  to 
receive  it.     For  though  they  think  affusion 
warranted  by  scripture,  yet  they  are  far  from 
denying  the  validity  of  immersion.     Since 
therefore  our  brethren  may  enjoy  their  own 


148  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

principles  with  us,  what  occasion  can  they 
have  to  separate  from  us  ? 

Perhaps  some  will  say,  We  cannot  com- 
mune with  you,  because,  in  our  opinion,  you 
are  unbaptized  ;  nor  can  we  receive  baptism 
from  your  ministers,  because  they  have  re- 
ceived no  other  than  infant  baptism,  which 
is  a  nullity:  And  since  they  have  not  been 
regularly  baptized  themselves,  they  cannot 
administer  valid  baptism  to  others. 

It  were  to  be  wished,  that  persons  of  such 
Barrow  sentiments  would  reailZc  tuG  Conse- 
quence. Infant  baptism  was  undoubtedly 
the  universal  practice  of  the  christian  church 
for  many  hundreds  of  years  together.  His- 
tory does  not  inform  us,  when  it  first  began 
to  be  practised;  but  we  have  particular  ac- 
counts when  it  wa&.first  opposed.  And  if 
it  be  a  nullity,  there  is  not,  nor  can  be 
again,  any  regular  baptism  in  the  world  ;  for 
there  is  not  the  least  ground  to  pretend  to  a 
succession  of  adult  baptisms.  If  we  trace 
adult  baptisms  back,  we  must  come  to  the 
time  when  they  were  administered  by  those 
who  were  baptized  in  infancy,  and  who,  up- 
on the  principles  above  mentioned,  could 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  149 

not  administer  valid  baptism.  Our  brethren 
therefore,  by  nullifying  our  baptism,  nullify 
their  own;  and  by  unchurching  w^,  unchurch 
themselves.  Yea,  upon  these  principles, 
there  were  no  authorized  ministers,  nor  reg- 
ular churches,  nor  baptized  christians,  for 
many  centuries  together,  nor  are  there  novv, 
nor  ever  will  be  again,  without  a  new  com- 
mission from  heaven.  How  then  has  Christ 
fulfilled  his  promises,  that  he  will  be  with 
his  ministers  always  to  the  end  of  the  world, 
and  that  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail 
against  his  church  ?  We  may  rest  assured, 
that  these  promises  have  not  been  forgotten, 
and  consequently,  that  baptism  did  not  cease, 
nor  the  church  fail,  when  infant  baptism  be- 
came  so  much  the  general  practice,  that  a 
succession  of  adult  baptisms  was  no  where 
preserved.  Our  brethren  then  must  allow, 
that  baptism,  as  administered  in  our  church- 
es, is  valid,  and  conseq  uently,  that  the  above 
mentioned  plea,  for  declining  communion 
with  us,  is  of  no  weight. 

And  indeed  many  among  them,  though 
they  think  infant  baptism,  especially  whea 
performed  by  sprinkling,  not  regular,  yet  do 
13* 


1:50  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

SO  far  allow  the  validity  of  it,  that  they  scru- 
ple not  to  hold  communion  with  us.  Some 
baptist  churches  in  England  are  founded 
on  this  caiholic  plan.  The  church,  of  which 
the  late  celebrated  Dr.  Foster  was  minister, 
received  to  her  communion  such  as  were 
baptized  in  infancy,  without  requirino^  them 
to  be  rebaptized.  The  famous  Mr.  Whiston^ 
was  admitted  to  the  communion  of  this 
church,  after  leaving;  the  church  oi England^ 
without  rebaptization,  which  he  never  would 
submit  to;  for  though  he  pronounced  bap- 
tism in  infancy,  and  by  sprinkling  to  be 
wrong,  yet  he  declared  it  to  be  '  so  far  real 
baptism,  that  it  ought  not  to  be  repeated.'* 
Were  our  brethren  all  (as  indeed  many  of 
them  are)  of  the  same  generous  sentiments, 
we  should  hardly  need  to  be  known  as  dif- 
ferent sects ;  to  be  sure  there  would  be  no 
occasion  for  dividing  communions  upon  our 
different  opinions. 

With  those  of  less  generous  sentiments, 
1  beg  leave  seriously  to  expostulate.  That 
you  have  the  same  right  as  we  have,  to 
judge  what  are  the  divine  institutions,  and 

*  Clark's  Pefencc,  page  34. 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  151 

to  practice  accordinsjly,  none  will  deny.  But 
to  differ  in  sentiment  and  practice,  is  one 
thing  ;  to  renounce  communion  on  account 
of  this  difference  is  another.  To  justify  this 
step,  it  is  not  sufficient  to  prove,  that  you 
may  be  in  the  right :  It  is  necessary  to  prove^ 
that  we  must  he  fundamentally  in  the  wrong. 
You  suppose  us  to  be  in  an  errour.  But  is 
this  errour,  in  your  opinion,  so  manifest,  and 
so  gross,  that  none  who  embrace  it  can  be 
honest  christians  ? — Can  you  demonstrate, 
that  the  seal  of  the  covenant  of  grace  was 
never  appointed  for  the  children  of  believers; 
or,  if  such  an  appointment  was  once  made, 
it  has  since  been  revoked  ?  That  baptism  a/- 
ways  signifies  immersion^  and  that  this  mode 
was  invariably  used  by  the  Apostles  ?  That 
the  age  and  manner  of  admission  into  the 
church,  in  use  among  you,  is  so  essential, 
that  the  least  deviation  nullifies  our  Christi- 
anity ? — Will  you  pretend,  that  there  are  no 
real  christians  in  our  churches  }  That  the 
word  and  ordinances  administered  in  them, 
have  never  been  blessed  to  men^s  conversion 
and  salvation?  That  there  was  nothing  of 
the  power  of  godliness,  in  and  after  the  time 


lo^  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

of  reformation  ?  No  true  religion  among  our 
fathers,  and  in  the  churches  founded  by 
them  ?  That  there  have  been  no  revivals  of 
piety  in  these  churches  since  they  were 
planted  ]  That  God  has  never  owned  them 
by  providential  protections,  or  by  the  t  ffu- 
aions  of  his  spirit?  Has  there  never  been 
any  real  godliness,  but  what  was  confined  to 
your  denomination  ;  and  none  at  aH  in  that 
long  period,  when  your  sect  did  not  exist  ? 
These  things,  1  know,  you  will  not  pretend. 
Nay,  1  will  inquire  farther;  do  not  many  of 
you  date  your  own  conversion  at  a  time 
when  you  were  in  sentiment  and  in  com- 
munion with  our  churches?  Did  not  God 
bestow  this  great  mercy  upon  you,  while 
you  attended  on  the  ministration  of  his  word 
and  ordinances  among  us?  This,  1  know, 
some  of  you  profess.  You  believe  then, 
that  God  has  owned,  and  still  owns  these  as 
his  churches  :  And  will  you  disown  them  ? 
Will  you  reject  that  which  God  receives  ? 
If  you  think  it  most  convenient  to  worship 
and  commune  ordinarily  with  those  of  your 
own  sentiments ;  yet  why  need  y(^u  renounce 
fellowship  with  us  ?  Are  you  doing  God  ser- 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  163 

Vice,  when  you  cause  divisions  and  offences 
in  his  churches,  contrary  to  the  doctrine  of 
peace  and  unity,  that  we  have  received  ? 
Let  us  not,  my  brethren,  rend  the  body  of 
Christ  by  our  divisions  ;  but  with  united 
zeal  build  up  his  kingdom  in  the  world. 

2.  The  preceding  discourses  teach  us  the 
iinwarrantableness  of  rebaptization.  It  is 
agreed  on  both  sides  that  baptism  is  not  to 
be  repeated.  It'  then  our  baptism  is  valid, 
a  repetition  of  it  is  contrary  to  the  will  of 
God.  In  the  baptism  of  an  infant  there  is 
the  application  of  water  in  the  name  of  the 
Trinity,  as  well  as  in  the  baptism  of  an  adult. 
If  this  baptism  be  not  valid,  it  is  onli/  be- 
cause the  subject  had  not  faith,  and  did  not 
actually  consent  to  the  baptismal  obligations. 
Now  if  the  baptism  of  an  infant  is  a  nullity 
for  want  of  these  qualifications,  the  want  of 
them  will  equally  nullify  an  adult  baptism  ; 
but  yet,  I  presume,  none  of  our  brethren 
will  carry  the  matter  to  this  length.  Let 
us  put  a  case  (and  such  a  one  as  doubtless 
sometimes  happens.)  An  adult  person 
makes  a  profession  of  faith  and  obedience, 
and  is  baptized*     It  soon  appears  from  the 


154.  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

wickedness  of  his  life  and  the  corruptness 
of  his  principles,  that  he  had  no  faith  in  any 
rational  sense,  and  never  consented  to  the 
baptismal  obligations,  but  was  influenced 
only  by  carnal  views.  The  man  afterward 
comes  to  repentance,  confesses  his  hypocri- 
sy in  this  affair,  and  owns  he  had  no  reli- 
gious views  in  the  whole  transaction.  He 
now  gives  satisfactory  proofs,  that  he  is  be- 
come a  real  penitent  and  believer.  Ought 
this  person  to  be  rebaptized!  Every  one  will 
say,  no ;  because  he  has  been  baptized,  and 
his  baptism  will  save  him,  as  he  has  now  the 
answer  of  a  good  conscience  toward  God, 
When  Simon  the  sorcerer,  who  had  been 
baptized  by  Philip,  discovered  the  vile  hy- 
pocrisy of  his  heart,  P^/er  directs  him  to  re- 
pent, that  his  sin  might  be  forgiven  ;  but 
says  nothing  of  his  being  baptized  again  : 
Whereas  he  says  to  the  unbaptized  Jetvs, 
Eepent,  and  be  baptized  for  the  remission  of 
sins.  I5ut  there  is  just  the  same  reason, 
why  this  hi/pocrite  should  be  baptized  again 
upon  his  repentance,  as  why  the  infant 
should  ;  because  he  no  more  had  faith  be- 
fore baptism,  and  no  more  consented  to  any 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  15j 

religious  obligation,  when  he  was  baptized, 
than  an  infant.  If  a  profession  of  repentance 
is  all  that  is  necessary  to  our  receiving  this 
baptized  hypocrite,  a  profession  of  faith  and 
obedience,  at  adult  age,  is  all  that  is  neces- 
sary to  our  receiving  one  baptized  in  child- 
hood. So  that  rebaptization  is  unwarranta- 
ble and  sinful  even  upon  the  principles  of 
our  brethren  themselves  ;  and  much  more 
upon  supposition  of  infants  right  to  baptism, 
which,  I  think,  has  been  abundantly  prov- 
ed.    Further, 

3.  If  children  are  the  proper  subjects  of 
baptism,  then  it  is  the  indispensable  duty  of 
parents  to  present  them  to  God  in  this  ordi- 
nance, and  there  must  be  an  inexcusable 
neglect  in  those  parents,  who,  though  con- 
vinced of  their  children's  right  to  baptism, 
delay  to  procure  it  for  them. 

Some  will  say  perhaps,  '  Though  we  dis- 
pute not  their  rigid  to  it,  yet  it  appears  to 
us  to  be  a  matter  of  very  little  consequence.' 

But  certainly  it  is  a  matter  o^ great  con- 
sequence, that  you  compl}^  with  a  divine 
institution.     He  that  breaks  the  least  com- 


i56  CHRISTIAN   BAPTISM. 

Jnand  shall  be  called  least  in  the  kingdom  of 

heaven. 

Perhaps  you  will  say,  '  We  can^t  suppose 

the  happiness  of  our  children  at  all  depends 

upon  their  baptism,  since  itis  a  thing  out  of 
their  power/  Be  it  so:  Yet  if  it  be  a  duty 
incumbent  on  you  to  bring  them  to  baptism, 
7/our  happiness  may  depend  on  your  com- 
pliance with  this  as  well  as  any  olher  duty. 
But  how  are  you  sure  that  their  welfare  no 
way  depends  upon  it  ?  Their  welfare  much 
depends  on  their  being  religiously  educated— 
their  education  will  chiefly  lie  with  you — 
by  their  baptism  you  engage  to  give  them  a 
religious  education — and  if  your  bringing 
yourselves  under  public  solemn  obligations, 
will  be  any  motive  with  you  to  educate 
them  religiously,  then  their  welfare,  in  some 
degree,  depends  on  their  baptism.  You  will 
say,  '  You  can  do  your  duty  as  well  without 
such  a  promise  as  with  it.^  With  equal 
reason  might  you  say,  you  can  live  a  reli- 
gious life  without  ever  making  a  profession 
of  religion,  as  well  as  if  you  did.  But  God 
has  required  you  to  make  a  profession,  be- 
cause this  will  be  a  proper  motive  and  in- 


CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM.  1;57 

ducement  to  you  to  live  a  religious  life  ;  it 
is  a  suitable  means  of  strengthening  your 
obligations  and  keeping  them  in  your  re- 
membrance. And  your  dedi'^ating  your 
children  to  God  in  baptism  is  founded  on  the 
same  reason.  It  is  a  promise  which  you 
take  on  yourselves,  and  a  means  of  remind* 
ingyou  of  your  obligations,  to  educate  thenGi 
religiously.  And  this  will  be  an  argument, 
which  you  may  use  to  good  advantage  in 
your  addresses  to  them. 

With  respect  to  unbaptized  infants,  we 
may  be  assured,  God  will  do  them  no  wrong. 
But  if  he  has  made  their  baptism  a  condi- 
tion of  the  bestowment  of  some  undeserved 
favours,   who  can  say,  this  is  unjust  ?    It 
would  be  presumption  to  assert,  that  all  who 
die  unbaptized  are  lost.     God^s  tender  mer- 
cies are  over  all  his  works.    But  the  promise 
is   to  believers,   and   their  children.      And 
should  we  suppose,  that  the  baptized  infants 
of  believers   have  some   advantages   above 
other  infants  in  another  state,  this  could  not 
be  called  absurd:  For  it  is  certainly  a  part 
of  the  scheme  of  God^s  moral  government, 
that  some  should  be  benefited  by  the  piety 


1^8  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

of  Others.  All  intercession  is  founded  in 
this  principle.  You  doubtless  sometimes 
pray  for  your  infant  children.  If  you  see 
them  in  danger  of  death,  you  pray,  not  only 
that  their  lives  may  be  spared,  but  alsv  that 
their  souls  might  be  saved.  But  why  do 
you  pray  for  them  if  you  imagine  no  good 
can  redound  to  them  from  your  faith  and 
piety  ?  How  often  did  Christ  exercise  his 
healing  mercy  toward  the  sick  on  account 
of  the  faith  of  others  ?  How  often  did  he 
grant  cures  to  children  upon  the  earnest  pe- 
titions of  their  parents?  It  would  then  be 
extremely  rash  to  conclude,  your  infants 
cannot  be  benefited  by  your  dedicating  them 
to  God.  Those  believers,  who  brought  in- 
fants to  our  Saviour,  that  he  should  bless 
them  and  pray  for  them,  entertained  another 
sentiment.  They  thought  the  good  of  these 
children,  in  some  measure,  depended  on 
their  bringing  them  to  Christ.  And  Christ 
commended  their  piety,  and  directed  others 
to  do  likewise. 

Some  perhaps  will  say,  '  We  believe  that 
infants  are  subjects  of  baptism,  but  we  qnes-     , 
tion  our  own  right  to  give  them  up  to  (Jod 


CHRISTIAN  BAPTISM.  159 

therein.^  But  if  you  question  your  own 
right,  it  must  be,  because  you  question 
whether  you  have  any  religion.  And  can 
you  be  contented  so  ? 

Whatever  the  difficulty  is,  which  lies  in 
your  way,  it  should  be  your  immediate  con- 
cern to  remove  it.  Is  it  not  your  intention 
to  live  a  life  of  religion  ?  Is  it  not  your  de- 
sire that  your  children  should  grow  up  be- 
fore the  Lud  ?  Is  it  not  your  resolution  to 
bring  them  up  for  him  ?  If  it  is,  then  say  so, 
by  a  public  dedication  of  yourselves  and 
your  children  to  God.  If  it  is  not,  then 
tremble  at  the  thought  of  your  own  impiety 
and  carelessness.  If  you  have  no  good  pur- 
poses and  desires,  you  cannot  consistently 
profess  any  ;  if  you  have  good  desires  and 
purposes,  strengthen  and  confirm  them  by 
bringing  yourselves  under  explicit  obliga- 
tions to  act  agreeably  to  them. 

Finally,  Let  such  as  have  dedicated  their 
children  to  God,  act  under  a  sense  of  the 
vows  that  are  upon  them. 

If  your  children  are  removed  by  an  early 
death,  quietly  submit  to  the  will  of  that 
sovereign  Lord,  whose  property  you  have 


160  CHRISTIAN    BAPTISM. 

acknowledged  them  to  be,  and  entertain  no 
anxious  thoughts  about  the  manner  in  which 
he  has  disposed  of  them.  When  you  gave 
them  to  him  in  baptism,  you  professed  your 
faith  in  his  mercy  toward  them.  If  you 
cannot  tru^t  him  to  dispose  of  them,  why 
did  you  dedicate  them  to  him?  If  you  can, 
why  are  you  anxious  about  them  now  since 
he  has  taken  them  into  his  own  hands  ? 

If  your  children  live,  then  bring  them  up 
in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord. 
If  your  worldly  circumstances  make  it  ne- 
cessary that  you  should  commit  them  to  the 
care  of  others,  see  that  you  put  them  into 
families  where  you  have  reason  to  think  they 
will  be  religiously  educated.  If  you  keep 
them  under  your  own  immediate  care,  train 
them  up  in  the  way  in  which  they  should 
go;  and  commend  them  to  God,  and  to  the 
word  of  his  grace,  which  is  able  to  build 
them  up,  and  to  give  them  an  inheritance 
among  the  Saints. 

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